Vessel of Iniquity: Void of Infinite Horror (2019)

Well, this one is perhaps a cautionary tale.  I remember adding it to my cart while placing the order for Mystifier, Altarage and Vltimas as I vaguely recalled reading some positive reviews about it.  I probably should have looked back at those reviews or at least done a little more research on this release before buying it.  Oh well, too late now.

This album is basically like if Altarage completely gave up on any semblance of musicianship.  It is a cross between drone doom, black/death metal and just pure noise.  There are riffs present, but they do not really resemble anything coherent.  They are played extremely fast while drums pound away mechanically and other instrumentation plays extremely loud, resulting in a massive wall of sound that only occasionally relents.

This is essentially an instrumental album.  There are vocals, but I am not sure there are lyrics or any words being conveyed.  The vocals are typically delivered in blood-curdling screams that melt into the larger wall of sound and essentially just become another instrument.

I will say that the title of the album is quite fitting because this release is definitely horrifying.  It is good for what it is, I want to be clear on that, but I just do not believe it has much replay value.  There are no real songs here, just differing collections of noise.  I probably would not have picked it up had I known that.  I will keep it, but I doubt it will be played too often.

Ayyur: The Lunatic Creature (2018)

Sometimes I just enjoy discovering metal bands from countries that one would not think would have much of a metal scene.  It is one of my favorite things about this form of music that its sound has caught on all over the world.  Some of the areas that I am constantly on the lookout for is Africa and the Middle East.  Well, kill two birds with one stone here.  Enter Tunisia's Ayyur.

Ayyur has been around for some time, originally forming in 2007, but strangely being inactive between 2009 and the release of this EP late last year.  Maybe.  I found a notation about an EP from 2013, but no actual information about it.  This is a fairly short release, with just four songs and just over 20 minutes in length.  Short releases often make the best introductions though.

The genre of metal that seems most likely to emerge from countries like does seem to be black metal, and Ayyur fits the bill.  In looking for a point of reference, Ayyur has a style that calls to mind early Mayhem.  It is a raw and chaotic sound that oozes a dark and evil atmosphere.  Most of the band is not the most proficient at their instruments and songwriting, but that merely adds to the very unsettling feeling that this release conveys.  The cavernous production also helps in that respect.  The drumming, handled by former Deathspell Omega vocalist Shaxul, is incredible and really steals the show.

This is a release that really captures the spirit and essence of black metal.  It is not a perfect release by any stretch, but it is very dark and unsettling.  I came away from this release very impressed with Ayyur.  For me, it hits the right spots that I am looking for when I want to hear good black metal.  I will be interested in hearing more from the band.