The Canadian scene is full of interesting bands, and Feral is another act that upholds the good name and prestige of this scene. Feral is a one-man band formed in 2013 by J. Feral at Tabersintac, New Brunswic; the debut album For Those Who Live in Darkness, about which I want to tell you, was released one year later. The first thing to point out is that the visual impact of this album is not the best, because of a gray and unattractive artwork at the center of which stands a kind of a big werewolf surrounded by strange figures including a skeleton.
Musically speaking, the album combines the icy and harsh atmospheres typical of the Norwegian tradition, for example the opening “Entering Darkness”, with melodic moments typical of the North American tradition, as in “True Forgotten Beauty”; Feral sometimes even revives the contemplativity and the evocativeness of Cascadian black metal. The best examples of this synthesis are songs like “Weeping Earthbound Spirit” and “Deterioration of the Mind”; in particular the latter contains the melancholic melody of a mandolin. The closing and longest song “Dethroning Your King” is a good display of the musical palette of Feral.
The concept of the album revolves around black arts and the nature of darkness, and actually when you listen to this album you will have the feeling of entering a dark and inhospitable terrain. The raw production increases this feeling, but I think this album never really takes on brilliance and remains a little lacklustre; the vocals delivered by J. Feral in the long run fail to be really engaging. Nevertheless I think that For Those Who Live in Darkness is worth a listen!
Notes:
Self-released on October 23 2014. According to a statement, Feral will be recording the new album in September 2015.
Tracklist:
1. Entering Darkness
2. Nocturnal Queen
3. True Forgotten Beauty
4. Weeping Earthbound Spirit
5. The Curse
6. Deterioration of the Mind
7. Dethroning Your King
Personnel:
J. Feral: vocals, guitars, bass, mandolin
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
Musically speaking, the album combines the icy and harsh atmospheres typical of the Norwegian tradition, for example the opening “Entering Darkness”, with melodic moments typical of the North American tradition, as in “True Forgotten Beauty”; Feral sometimes even revives the contemplativity and the evocativeness of Cascadian black metal. The best examples of this synthesis are songs like “Weeping Earthbound Spirit” and “Deterioration of the Mind”; in particular the latter contains the melancholic melody of a mandolin. The closing and longest song “Dethroning Your King” is a good display of the musical palette of Feral.
The concept of the album revolves around black arts and the nature of darkness, and actually when you listen to this album you will have the feeling of entering a dark and inhospitable terrain. The raw production increases this feeling, but I think this album never really takes on brilliance and remains a little lacklustre; the vocals delivered by J. Feral in the long run fail to be really engaging. Nevertheless I think that For Those Who Live in Darkness is worth a listen!
Notes:
Self-released on October 23 2014. According to a statement, Feral will be recording the new album in September 2015.
Tracklist:
1. Entering Darkness
2. Nocturnal Queen
3. True Forgotten Beauty
4. Weeping Earthbound Spirit
5. The Curse
6. Deterioration of the Mind
7. Dethroning Your King
Personnel:
J. Feral: vocals, guitars, bass, mandolin
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com