Primary Emotions/Themes: Cold, disconnected
Thoughts: When I think of music that sounds like it was recorded in a cave I normally go to the cavernous death metal microgenre. What would happen if a black metal band used similar recording techniques? Would it be called raw black metal? Would it be cavernous black metal? I'm not sure, but Bræ has me asking that question.
Two songs, 20 minutes each. Both songs are exceptional. They manage to combine both the ominous atmosphere of raw black metal with complex and dynamic song structures that are normally found elsewhere in the black metal genre.
I'm a bit taken aback by these songs, they do almost nothing new - yet what they do, they do so well that it's impossible for me to ignore. This is raw, but not to the point of my ears bleeding. This is dynamic, but not to the point where the riffs are switching every few measures. They take their time to evolve and cement themselves in my memory before moving on.
The vocals in particular have a tortured sound to them that is normally found in bands such as Bethlehem's early works. They mix perfectly with the music and add an additional layer of terror to the mix.
Everything I've said to this point has been done before, and everything after this point will also reflect things that have been done by other bands. Again though, its how Bræ executes on these items that makes this so good.
There are long acoustic sections that take over when the metal elements melt away in to the background. These sections continue the cavernous feeling of the rest of the music. They have a deep reverb and are expertly played. In short the acoustic portion of the album is a clear highlight.
Be it metal, ambient, acoustic, or any combination of those different parts the music on the album is sensational. It's nothing I haven't heard before, but god damn it's done so well that it demands my attention. The production/atmosphere having more in common with cavernous death metal than most black metal is a bit curious, but it's hardly a detractor. Apparently Bræ has another album out that I need to check out as well. If it's half as good as this one, it'll be worth my attention.
Written November 30th 2023
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