Jute Gyte — Vast Chains

One man black metal has a reputation for being extremely simple, sub-Darkthrone or Burzum worship. Adam Kalmbach, the man behind Jute Gyte, aims to destroy that stereotype by creating some of the most bizarre and complicated black metal – scratch that – music I’ve ever come across. This project has the distinction of being the first black metal band to play with microtonality extensively. The gist of microtonal music is that it’s music played in anything smaller than a half tone, resulting in extremely off the wall stuff, and it lends itself to dissonance quite easily. Despite releasing a whopping 20 albums before Vast Chains (and one since this album’s release), I had never heard of Jute Gyte until very recently. Truth be told, I’m still not sure what to make of the project. It’s very interesting but difficult to digest.

It’s difficult to even start describing Vast Chains. I mean, yes, it’s black metal and yes it’s dissonant and crazy, but even Blut Aus Nord and DSO’s craziest, most experimental material has nothing on this. Very little of this album is anything approaching standard black metal. The tracks are segmented into two distinct styles – completely demented and unpredictable black metal, and little sprinklings of ambience or grating, microtonal scales. The black metal sections are an all-out assault on the ears, and conjure mental images of giant, mechanical, many-limbed insects clawing at your mind. Constantly shifting, these sections are unfamiliar territory for most I’d wager. The whirling atmosphere leaves the listener reeling, struggling to make sense of the seemingly random audial torture. But for all the apparent randomness, there is a sinister structure to the tracks, almost like a maliciously designed maze. Angular riffs lunge into smoother sections before swinging back into chaotic dissonance once again. It’s difficult to imagine how Kalmbach was able to create something so intensely disquieting.

"Refusing a Heavenly Mansion" and "The Inexpressible Loneliness of Thinking" are more grounded than the opening track and allow the listener to gather some of his wits before being thrown out into the suffocating void once again. And you really are thrown into them. There isn’t enough build up to really capitalize on the impossibly deranged outbursts. It’s extremely jarring to be thrust in the thick of things without a warning, which is almost certainly the goal of Jute Gyte, but it doesn’t exactly endear these abrupt transitions to me. There are moments where the sound lurches into horrifying death metal but Kalmbach’s hoarse growls weaken their impact. His rabid snarls and screams are more suited to the insane atmosphere being cultivated here. I would be remiss in not mentioning how completely captivated I was by this album. Because I had never heard anything close to this harrowing before, I was hooked for the entire album. Even though hour-long album is made up of lengthy tracks the album doesn’t get stale because of its constantly changing nature.

Vast Chains is an extremely difficult album to listen to. It’s one that will completely shatter your expectations of one man metal is. I wouldn’t say that I loved the album or even liked it, but it deserves a listen or two because it’s some of the most unique material released this year. It’s challenging but worthwhile, especially because it’s free on Jute Gyte’s Bandcamp (along with many other albums). I won’t be reaching for Vast Chains often, but if I’m in the mood for the most foreign, abrasive music I can imagine, you bet I’ll be going back for another listen. It’s an insane album, and it begs the question , “How much crazier can things get?” Only time will tell if Jute Gyte rises to the challenge.