Italian one-man project Vardan might arise some suspicion as regards his being at least overly productive, with three albums out in 2013 and a similar pace kept up at this point of 2014. The Wood Is My Coffin is nonetheless worth a listen, especially for fans of traditional Norwegian black metal from the 90s. In fact, some might even call it derivative and unoriginal, but Vardan’s desolate landscapes of the soul certainly strike a chord. The lad has a solid education in this field, but needs to develop a mark of his own.
Misanthropy and self-harm are the leading themes of the album and “Night of the Horned Rebirth” acts somehow as a manifesto for the structure of most tracks: a soaring blaze of rage conveyed through an assault of cymbals and harsh screams, immediately followed by the dark and depressive feeling that runs through all the album, along with a rather shallow production that indeed makes it sound really “old school”. “Luciferian Assault” is more or less Darkthron-esque when it comes to essential songwriting and high-speed vibe. “Goatcraft” is similar to the opener in style and structure, still displaying a glimpse of savage energy that always seems toned down and hushed by some mysterious force – not strong enough to be oppressive or haunting, anyway. “Whilst Night of the Followers Part 1” rolls away with no particular thrill, its second part has a post-black metal album and a full drum sound that fill in for some weak points through the tracklist.
Certainly this is not to be regarded as a lackadaisical album, but it misses some nails to really claw in to the listener’s ears and spirit.
Notes:
The Wood Is My Coffin was released on January 21, 2014 on Moribuond Records.
Misanthropy and self-harm are the leading themes of the album and “Night of the Horned Rebirth” acts somehow as a manifesto for the structure of most tracks: a soaring blaze of rage conveyed through an assault of cymbals and harsh screams, immediately followed by the dark and depressive feeling that runs through all the album, along with a rather shallow production that indeed makes it sound really “old school”. “Luciferian Assault” is more or less Darkthron-esque when it comes to essential songwriting and high-speed vibe. “Goatcraft” is similar to the opener in style and structure, still displaying a glimpse of savage energy that always seems toned down and hushed by some mysterious force – not strong enough to be oppressive or haunting, anyway. “Whilst Night of the Followers Part 1” rolls away with no particular thrill, its second part has a post-black metal album and a full drum sound that fill in for some weak points through the tracklist.
Certainly this is not to be regarded as a lackadaisical album, but it misses some nails to really claw in to the listener’s ears and spirit.
Notes:
The Wood Is My Coffin was released on January 21, 2014 on Moribuond Records.
| Tracklist: 1. Night of the Horned Rebirth 2. Luciferian Assault 3. Goatcraft 4. Dawn of the Followers - Part 1 5. Dawn of the Followers - Part 2 | 08:05 06:58 08:49 08:44 06:20 38:56 |
Personnel:
Vardan - All instruments
Vardan - All instruments
Text by Arianna
arianna@unholyblackmetal.com
arianna@unholyblackmetal.com