Black metal always leans dangerously on the ridiculous. In a genre where corpse paint and songs about Cthulhu are the norm, orchestral elements (horns, choirs, strings) are the sort of thing that push what's meant to be dark fantasy into the realm of black comedy (see: Cradle of Filth), especially if the record isn't properly mixed. Symphonic black metal isn't easy to get right, and very easy to get hideously wrong.
That's what makes France's Hegemon so exceptional.
Hegemon write great symphonic black metal. Songs like "Interpreting Signs for War: Auspices" and "Elysean Expectations, Earthly Deceptions" combine the band's knack for beautiful guitar darkness with soaring choirs and acoustic arpeggios, creating thick atmospheres of war-hungry malice. The Hierarch is full of exultant choruses and traditional black metal riffs. The orchestral elements always augment the album's aggressive black metal core, complimenting Hegemon's songwriting rather than compensating for the lack of it.
There's nothing shocking on The Hierarch. This is triumphant, symphonic black metal without twists or gimmicks. Vocalist N delivers a dynamic and engrossing performance, ranging from chants to growls to shrieks in the opening of "Atomos: Seed of the Quantic Gods" alone. Varied song structure keeps the familiar black metal tools Hegemon rely on (blast beats, tremolo riffs, menacing chugs) from wearing out their welcome, as does the occasional ethereal interlude on tracks like "Credo Quia Absurdum." On the album closer "Hierarch: The Empire of Zero," Hegemon demonstrate the same masterful amalgamation of growls, chants, foreboding riffs and haunting orchestral keys they did on the opening track. The perfect balance the band achieves between symphonic and black metal elements never falters.
Highly Recommended.
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