Inquisition - Obscure Verses for the Multiverse (2013)

First things first: listen to Obscure Verses for the Multiverse on Bandcamp.

There is often a sense of relief in hearing a new record from a band a listener enjoys.  That relief can be intertwined with surprise that the record didn't flop like a fish as so many others from once-promising bands.  Indeed, Inquisition remains promising of greatness to come and show no shortage of it on Obscure Verses for the Multiverse.

That said, it might be a bit jarring for anyone who listens to the band (casual or die-hard) when "Force of the Floating Tomb" kicks in.  This record sounds really good, despite having production that seems diametrically opposed to what one might expect.  Guitarist/vocalist Dagon explained in an interview with Invisible Oranges that Obscure Verses... is the result of what happens when serious, ritualistic preparation and performance meets good audio.

Still, it's not difficult to be skeptical.  And that's fine.  But for once, the production (or good audio) isn't a hindrance to what the band is trying to accomplish.  Far from it, actually, as it augments Inquisition's typically weird and off-putting musical attack.

The elements that one would expect are all here: Dagon's croak, the double-stops, string bends, plenty of blasting and slower rock beats.  The croak is the one thing that really divides people about the band.  Otherwise, they would appear to be the best in a scene that is still finding its footing and searching for a greater sense of acceptance.  No matter the thoughts on the croak (which I enjoy as an element of distinction that separates this band from all others like a guillotine), the music behind it remains as quirky and individualistic as on previous standout Ominous Doctrines....

What might confuse listeners further are the new sounds that one hears. There are numerous instances of guitar noise (it sounds like Dagon is pulling up on the whammy bar, but I can't be sure), pinch harmonics, and even palm muting.  These things are far from the realm of orthodox black metal guitar playing.  But this is one of the things that makes Inquisition great; Dagon is not afraid to use other sounds/guitar techniques to get his point across.  He creates a new context for black metal with his playing, proving once more that it is possible to work in the sub-genre without being constrained by its stifling and limited palette.

Put simply, Inquisition is one of the better bands working in black metal, regardless of location.  Listen and judge for yourself, but be prepared to embrace the croak and be blasted into a new cosmic sphere.

Best Metal Albums of 2013

2013 wasn't a great year, for me or for metal.  At some point around May or June, I wasn't even sure I would have a top ten worth trumpeting to anyone.  It was that bad the first six months.  Then, surprisingly, things started picking up.

But I have to emphasize that 2013 was not a good year for metal.  Not only were there disappointments, but there was a lot of overrated crap too.  I won't name-check them, for obvious reasons.

I'll just say that my list probably doesn't look much like any other that's been posted so far.  There may be a couple albums shared between mine and the rest of the metal critics out there.

Now, to the list.  First, a short explanation of the criteria I used to pick these specific albums: riffs and enjoyment.  As a guitarist, the only thing I really listen for (or notice, in some cases) is the amount of riffs the bands in question are throwing into my ears.  Some that other people like, I don't get. I can shrug my shoulders at them and move on to something that I'd rather listen to.  I think enjoyment is also key.  These ten albums are what I really enjoyed listening to most.

But there's also a bit of intuition involved.  For example, the top five were albums that I was damn certain would be there.  This is especially true for the album that ended up being my #1.  More on that below.

That's enough of the generalized rambling.  Let's get a little more specific, shall we?

How's Your 2013? October Update

Some thoughts on the releases I was looking forward to in October and a couple of surprises I had been unaware of previously.

First up is Castevet's Obsian.  On this record, Nick McMaster of Krallice plays bass.  The first four songs go about as I expected; McMaster's inclusion in the band hasn't changed anything.  The songs still sound like a combination of black metal and hardcore.  He doesn't provide vocals, either.  The last two songs veer off into weird territory.  The title track is an instrumental and the closer incorporates clean vocals that are a bit off-putting.  Overall, it's a good record, but not quite the match of Mounds of Ash.

I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to assess the new Pelican or Corrections House.  I should revisit them early in 2014.  At least, that's what I'm going to try to do.  We'll see how that turns out.

I wasn't necessarily surprised about the new Inquisition album.  I'd say more, but since I'll be reviewing that one elsewhere, it's best for me to save my comments for that.

That leaves the other two bands who did surprise me: Thrall & Zemial.

I was a fan of Thrall's last release, Vermin to the Earth.  I thought it was an underrated slab of blackened (among other sub-genres) art.  But I wasn't really prepared for how different Aokigahara Jukai is.  The vocals are far more expressive, even if I can't understand the words most of the time.  The music behind the vocals seems to be more well-written and better-paced.  They labeled the last track "Slaves" as a bonus; I think it's one of the better songs on the album.  Not bad for a bonus!

I had heard about Zemial's new album Nykta by reading reviews of it.  I figured it might be worth a listen, but when I did listen to it, I was blown away.  I knew it was worth my money immediately.  What Zemial does isn't all that weird; Archon has taken influence from 80's thrash and the first wave of black metal to create a record that sounds like an artifact from that time while bringing the riffs and a bit of weirdness.  Pretty much every song starts out with a speedy riff that gets expanded on with progressive structures. There are also some funny-sounding toms and creepy keyboards.  The lead guitars are worth mentioning too, as they take over "In the Arms of Hades" and "Pharos".  All of these elements swirl together to create a great record that should be on many year-end lists.

I'm sure people are aware that Ævangelist's new record was pushed back to later this month.  So I should be ready to give my thoughts about that one early next month.  I have no doubt that it'll end up somewhere on my year-end list.  Death metal in particular has done quite well in 2013 after a couple of off years.  It wasn't something I expected, by any means.