
Torch Of War - The Principle of Cosmic Instability [Autopsy Kitchen Records - 2008]Though the production & feel of The Principle of Cosmic instability is extremely nasty and lo-fi there some very dramatic, grimly tuneful and well put together slabs of black metal craft going on here that have an added atmospheric edge with the recorded in a steel crypt vibe. The tracks are mainly fast, furious and battle hunger slices of black metal that usual clock in around the four minute mark each. At the front of the sound is this great harsh sounding cymbal abuse going on, which is joined by barbwire blacked guitar fuzzes and seemingly none existent bass, all topped off with brought back to angry life ragged throat demon vocals, that burn and carve at your ears. They manage to create a sound that very much brought to mind Darkthrone or Ulver at their most ghastly and lo-fi, but this still has it’s own prime evil and grim vibe with at times some of the riff caft bringing to mind bleak and wartorn Russian type melodies. A seething and unforgiving, yet memorable and atmospheric slab of black metal that use its nasty production very effectively to heighten and intensive it’s power.      Roger Batty
|