Here I review the brand new debut album of Scottish Black Metal fiends VALARAUKAR who are surely going to follow their only demo with some of the most punishingly intense Black Metal of 2019, but we shall see. Set for release on June 21st via Iron Bonehead Productions. I am intrigued even before hearing the music by the more cosmic art style yet the Tolkien inspired name, hopefully the music delivers on the already captivating artwork.
- Harnessing Of Hostile Forces opens with haunting and subtle ambience, setting the warped vibes for the album ahead beautifully and with nuance aplenty using suggested discomfort to provide an eeriness. Blasting drums and walls of ferocious guitars build an intense dissonance with a blistering atmosphere that certainly demands your attention from the get-go. Icelandic style riffing convulses forth with the immensely gorgeous mix allowing the instruments to punish you with their ferocious onslaught before howled vocals break their way through, only adding to the unnerving barrage of Black Metal. There is a stunning natural groove buried in the piercing atmospherics that certainly keeps a headbanger friendly element in the music. This opening song was as haunting as it was crushingly heavy. A truly magnificent and formidable start.
- The Unassailable Throne comes in with bleaker guitar dissonance and cymbal crashes that lurch into a pummelling cascade of cosmic Black Metal darkness with a furious assault of melancholic yet intimidating guitar riffs which alone create an impenetrable wall of noise, only strengthened by the unrelenting drum work and haunting vocals. Once more there is a convulsive rhythm buried in the atmospheric music that really allows the mesmerising barbarity to have even more impact. With such a monstrous forcefulness, the band groove out some of the most fierce Black Metal you shall hear this year with plentiful discordance and unhinging menace within the snarling grooves and debauchery. The use of some old school upbeat Norwegian Black Metal influence made for an unexpected turn, breaking up the attack with some classic sounds. Utterly fantastic.
- Red Eyes Behold The Heart Of Ruin fires in with grooving guitars surging over primal bass drum pounds, an immediately intimidating and foreboding vibe that is launched into waves upon waves of ripping instrumental fury with the dissonant atmospherics of the previous songs, also matched by that some convulsion in the grooves that uproots the listener as a barbaric yet intellectual performance of unholy Black Metal delivers a black flame of true extremity. The decimating glow of radiant instrumentals is furthered by the celestial howls of the vocals which brings the cosmos into the abyss with a monolithic performance from the full band. Depressive atmospherics break apart the assault, adding a gorgeous texture amidst the gnarly and uncomfortable atmosphere that builds to some nice primitive grooves. This track is an astonishing reminder of how original and utterly disturbing Black Metal can be after many years have passed since its inception. A progressive take on some classic riffs and new ideas aplenty, this song rules. Brilliant.
- Visions Of Truth Amidst The Black Fume falls into place with malice fuelled guitars that rip away at you alongside the insanity protruding from the blasting drums, clearly musicians with impressive skill and songwriting abilities, this song adds a terrifying frenzy to the album with an unrelenting approach of just old school blitzkrieg style blastbeats and riffs. The dissonant atmospherics have consistently been reminiscent of the Icelandic sound including bands like Sinmara and Misthyrming with a depravity among the audacious assaults. Valaraukar make some of the most impressively disturbing soundscapes, conjuring up a bleak cosmic vision with their unwavering strength and nuanced walls of noise. The blistering guitars and seething drums so beautifully match the vocal barbarity to make for one concise and well rounded encapsulation of malaise with plenty of grooves to spare and some bitterly mournful sections too. Glorious.
- Servant Of The Nameless falls in with hammering drums and an onslaught of melancholic yet powerfully aggressive riffing. The surging atmospherics mutate and grow into a rapidly more malicious assault of truly savage Black Metal. The hastily yelled vocals only add to the chaotic frenzied feel of the song while the sombre and dissonant guitars coupled with some of the most insane drum work blasts you with a truly morbid backing. The band work so well in unison at making a truly complete package of soundscapes, concocting some of the most beautifully evil yet tranquilly stunning Black Metal that haunts every fibre of your being. The thrashing elements of this song were an unpredictable touch to the already volatile mixture of sounds. Marvellous.
- Conquering The Void brings in the finale, this album has been so perfectly and gorgeously transcendental with nothing feeling jarring other than in the dissonant ways that were intended, I am confident the band shall close the album in a way that does it justice. Coming in with a storm of hellish guitars and blastbeats as has been the way throughout, the band certainly have no intention of showing less aggressive spitefulness. The discordant melodies with the piercing riffs are stunningly put together, showing once again the band has masterful songwriting abilities with well balanced drums to match and a perfectly clear production style that maintains the raw and honest feel of the band. A haunting instrumental growth happens throughout that keeps the dreadfully intense sense of discomfort that is well placed and broken down by some demonically tortured vocals that have a slightly more shrieked style than before. This closing track truly is the precipice where all of the unnerving soundscapes show their true forms and tear you apart in one final masterpiece. Wonderful.
A distorted and unhinging affair of purely malignant Black Metal dissonance and atmospheric delight with a richly textured soundscape of blistering guitars, an onslaught of drums and eerie vocals. With plenty of groove added to the uprooting walls and cascades of tremolo picked ferocious, the album remains diverse and delivers a catatonic blow of truly unrivalled extremity. A brutally uncompromising and phenomenally intense release that must be heard and demands your respect. -9/10
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