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Despite being a worldwide genre, black metal is still most associated with the freeze and isolation of Scandinavia. The genre’s heart and (evil) soul doesn’t have an address; it comes down to the people involved knowing what to utilize and how to do it. This is how a band from the humid swamps of Louisiana made one of the best black metal albums in recent memory.
The production on Barghest recalls middle-era Darkthrone, keeping it lo-fi without sacrificing clarity. No bass? No problem. Lack of heaviness is not an issue. The black metal staples – repetition, tremolo, blasts – are all accounted for, but Barghest is still a Baton Rouge band and sneaks crushing grooves into the song structures. It’s a refreshing and welcome innovation. Vocalist Dallas Smith keeps it mostly in the standard “shriek/shout” vein, but dips down to a guttural gurgle when the moment calls for it.
Halfway through is “Poison Meditation”, a deceptively simple and creepy ambient track. Listen to it with the lights off, and Vincent Price’s ghost might show up. Dread and uneasiness pervade “Mourning”, “Pain of Days”, and “The Rite of Isolation”. Barghest is telling us that Satan and apocalypse aren’t the scariest things to fear – sometimes it’s ourselves. “Reduced to Ashes” ends the album with a relentless barrage of riffs, screams, gunfire, and feedback. What’s more black metal than that? USBM, the bar has been raised. Step up.
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HEAR BARGHEST
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BUY BARGHEST
Gilead Media (LP, patch, button, shirt)
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Finally Nola has a real BM band and not Goatwhore.
Well, BRLA…. whatever.
I don’t think Goatwhore have tried to be anything other than Goatwhore. If you look at interviews with them, they’ll always include black metal as just one of many influences.
This Barghest band is good.
really solid
Very good write up, looking forward to receiving this in the mail!
In local Northeast English folklore, a Barghest is a benevolent household elf or spirit. Further south in North Yorkshire its a ghostly dog, like a phantom terrier. Bit of an odd name for a south east american band, it must sound as exotic and alien to them as their regional lore wuold to me. Musically it’s canny, not bad but still far from being “one of the best black metal albums in recent memory.” by a long stretch. The first minute or so of Hellish Entracement is pretty wicked though.
You’re right. It’s good, but not 10/10 holy shit game changer (I’d give it somewhere between a 7 & 8). Honestly this band gets a lot of attention among certain circles just because of certain non-BM bands they’re associated with. It should also be noted Chris (the reviewer) has stated before he’s not a big BM fan.
For myself, the best USBM album so far this year is Negative Plane’s Stained Glass Revelations.
“Black Dog” stories are pretty ubiquitous throughout northern and western Europe and they certainly made their way to North America, including the southeastern United States. Interestingly enough, the cowboy song “Ghost Riders In The Sky” is simply an Americanized version of the old Wild Hunt stories of old Celtic and Germanic folklore.
sound, aggression and forlorn melodies played lightning fast. A good black metal record always has memorable melodies. Their are many on these three songs.
Great debut. I was blown away. Much better than the bands they sometimes get lumped in with.
This is a fantastic band. Didnt really know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised.