Entry 1562 - Barshasketh

Style: Black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Hatred

Thoughts: There is a misnomer out there that all good black metal has to come from Scandinavia. It's odd that we as a collective metal community confine such a global genre to a few select countries. Odder still is a group of people that refuse to listen to anything recorded after 1999 in the genre. To the people who adhere to this philosophy - I present a counter argument: Barshasketh's self titled album.

Why this album? That's an excellent question, one I intend to attempt to answer. 

There is this inherit emotion that is common throughout all black metal. It is hatred. This hatred is seen clearly in the early black metal releases and is rarely subtle there. As black metal evolved past these initial releases bands began experimenting with other emotions and sounds... hate became less of a center point. It's still there but clearly not the primary focus for many modern bands.

Barshasketh takes hatred and molds that emotion into every single note played on their self titled album. Make no mistake, this is a modern black metal album - filled with dissonance, dynamic riffing, a hint of melody, and a deep atmosphere. So then why this album over so many others that could take its place?

The self titled opus from Barshasketh is simply better. It is better at dissonance, it is better at atmosphere, it is superior with its riffing and song writing. It is simply a stronger album than most other black metal albums that have come out in the past years.

Let's examine. the Consciousness series of songs is a prime exhibit for this band and their sound. The first movement begins with a strong riff that begins to slowly work in some dissonance between a well constructed basic structure. When the blasts come in the guitars and bass all go their separate ways, playing melodies independent of each other before coming back shortly thereafter to complete the initial riff. It sets an authoritative tone that refuses to compromise on any singular element. 

As the song progresses the band starts to showcase their songwriting prowess. The song slows down and the atmosphere builds, moving the band away from the dissonant start of the song. As this progression evolves the song leans more and more into the melodic territory, before fading to near silence at the end of the track. It's in this silence that part II starts. 

A singular note is played, joined soon by another. The silence is deafening it's so omnipresent. Here is where the band is most at home, most comfortable. In these moments of deep contemplation and in the realm of the destitute. The song slowly reverses its evolution that the first movement did and becomes more dissonant as it progresses. The perfect parabola if you will. 

This is but one of many examples of how Barshasketh molds their sound, their art to their hatred and malice towards the living. This is not black metal for those who are seeking something accessible, no, this is for those who are seeking more. This is an album for those who wish to commune with the depths of the spirit that is black metal and revel in its majesty.