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The opening of the video for Glorior Belli’s “They Call Me Black Devil” is shrewd. Showing a letter from Metal Blade denying a budget for the video, it excuses in advance deficiencies in production and emphasizes that the band has not gone soft from a big label signing.
No excuses are necessary, though. The lo-fi video is perfect, down to the footage of band mastermind J. playing acoustic guitar when the song is obviously electric. The whole air is “fuck you”, not only visually but also musically.
After the intriguingly transitional Meet Us at the Southern Sign (review), The Great Southern Darkness finds Glorior Belli coming fully into its voice – black metal infused with the blues. This isn’t the genteel, white folks blues of the radio, but the droning, aching blues of early 20th century masters.
The synthesis is complete, though. Glorior Belli isn’t trying to make a blues record or to shoehorn yet another influence into black metal. This record is more a recognition that black energy didn’t start with second or even first wave black metal. That energy has been there as long as night has fallen; Glorior Belli simply taps another source that harnesses that energy.
Danzig comes to mind, not only in the bluesy invocation of black energy, but also in the mid-paced ethos and single-string riffing. Even this title, “They Call Me Black Devil”, is Danzig-esque. But Glorior Belli doesn’t try to be Danzig, either. The band still loves good old-fashioned black metal tremolo picking; for a more purely black metal version of this record, try J.’s defunct project, Obscurus Advocam, whose Verbia Daemonicus is a forgotten gem.
Finding your own voice often seems to be the most threatening thing in metal. If so, Glorior Belli is at last a threat. No other band sounds like it, which, given high enough quality, usually means stardom or obscurity. I don’t think this band seeks “stardom”, but it shines more brightly than most in the firmament.
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ANOTHER SONG FROM THE GREAT SOUTHERN DARKNESS
“Secret Ride to Rebellion”
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BUY THE GREAT SOUTHERN DARKNESS
Amazon (CD)
Amazon (MP3)
Metal Blade (US, EU, UK stores)
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OK, you said there’s old-school blues infused (at least spiritually) with black metal, and then name-dropped (presumably the old-school incarnation of) Danzig. You definitely piqued my interest.
Nice mention of Obscurus Advocam’s Verbia Daemonicus – love that album.
Pretty nice. Change the vocals and this is pretty much stoner rock.
Well observed. Nice tune, by the way.
Sounds like Khold covering Danzig. Not bad.
Plain and simple… that song sounds awesome! I’ll seek this out for sure!
Anti-god, Anti-Furniture. Good song though.
Satan, blues, yada yada, nice….lets get that Metallica ‘Blackened’ post off the presses chief, complete with in depth analysis of the awesome main riff turnaround at 5:35 right before the last verse.
Since you know so much, wanna write it for me, chief?
After that, I’ve got eight more waiting for ya
Ready when you are!
This song took me by surprise the first time I heard it- they had the prototype up on their last one, but if this song is any indication they will have got it down on this one. Looking forward to it!
This is just too darn silly.
Sampled several tracks from this album last night… digging quite a bit. Some of the riffs sound like a heavily blackened version of Pepper-era COC or something.
You pointed us to a new track last year that I remember being really disappointed by. Not that I begrudge the band progressing, I just liked the sounds of Southern Sign so much. I’m relieved now, as these two songs are great, and I think only a subtle change in a groovier direction.
Yes, what happened was that the Glorior Belli main guy turned that direction into a side project called 11 as in Adversaries, which is very much alt-rock, sort of like Jane’s Addiction.
Now, obviously, he is back on track with Glorior Belli being Glorior Belli.
There is a good interview with him discussing that:
http://www.metal-army.com/?p=21669
Excited for this. Really liked Southern Sign. The bent notes and mid-paced tempo remind me of Alice In Chains. Think “Brush Away”. This and Craft’s “Void” will surely be overlooked gems from this year.
I love black metal and Danzig, but I’m not really buying this. I am looking forward to reading your “and justice for all” posts though!
This is amazing, I love the new direction they took.