Ghamorean
Terra ruina
Discouraged Records
Holy shit!! Even though it was released back in January, this is surprise of the year to these ears, right from the second it kicks off with its off-kilter intro, through its meandering journey across black metal's multifarious hatescape and into the epic dying seconds of "Universal miscreant". Musically, it's a damn technical affair, never resting for a second and constantly shifting tempo and style for its entirety. It is expertly crafted from start to finish, benefitting from a raw-yet-bludgeoning production that's clear enough to allow every nuance its fifteen minutes of fame while simultaneously offering an authentic, dirty old-school feel. If there's one gripe, it's that the IBM-blast on "Flagrum" doesn't -- at any point -- explode into a proper drum blast over the same riff that gets the electro-treatment. With that hefty production it would rip some serious face! You kind of expect it, but it never happens. And that really sucks! It's a minor point, though, given that "Terra ruina" does nothing but please otherwise. That there's passion evident on this album is quite an understatement. There's not a filler to be had, and no skull has been left unsmashed in the Umeå trio's quest for global oblivion. Man, oh fucking man! This is music to slay by!
- John Norby
