
Wrath of The Weak - Alogon [Profound Lore - 2008]Wrath of the Weak make an enjoyable and atmospheric if not particular distinctive or original mix of lo-fi mid-pace black metal, doomy post rock-ism and ambience. Alogon is their second album and first for the Profound Lore label. Though the tracks on offer are competent & grim, with repetitive and bleakly soaked harmonics unfolding under the feed back guitar storm clouds, there is just very little of an spark of something new or different here. The vocals too are pretty standard distant grim black metal growls with the odd elements of effect peddle tricky at its edges, which could have been interesting if developed. The most rewarding and effective moment here comes in the last track that runs just over twenty minutes and submerges the listener in bleak yet oddly warming church organ like sustained clouds of ambience- it just seems to shimmer bleakly before your ears, seemingly expanding on and on like the purple and still dawn after Armageddon. So really I wonder if the bands future is in the ambient field and not been a passable if not original black metal band. Certainly worth a look for the last track and the proceeding tracks will surely keep you grimly entertained but leave you feeling somehow short changed in the originality stakes.      Roger Batty
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