Kult ov Azazel "The World, the Flesh & the Devil" CD
[Arctic]
Damn. I really liked Kult ov Azazel's last record, and this one's good too, so most fans will probably be alright with it, but the mix is kind of hard for me to take. I was actually extremely pissed off when I first popped in it, but my ears adjusted over the course of the first five minutes to where it became bearable - though still quite problematic. What gets me the most is that the guitar tone kicks ass. It's very well controlled and tight, so the distortion is heavy and fluid and possesses just the right amount of clarity. Why is that a problem? Well, it's not. But everything else is, which takes away from the guitar tone and creates a definite sense of confusion. The vocals are too thin and up front, and the percussion's a real killer. The drums are crisp enough to get by despite their overly rigid attack, but the drum mix is really unbalanced, so it clouds things up a lot, and the drums and vocals end up fighting for space and sort of forcing the guitars back - where they rest in front of the barely audible basslines. Have I heard worse? Fuck yeah, I have! This actually sounds pretty decent in regards to the black metal genre, but since they're not going for that primal aesthetic they really need to push a little harder for more of a unity between the elements. In the end I actually think the vocals might be the biggest culprit, as all of the chaotic layering and fast vocal patterns really distract from the riffs since the vocals are placed the farthest out in front. The songwriting is pretty solid, though. For the most part it's a fairly tight, focused take on what you'd expect from the black metal genre: Lots of speed, shitloads of snarling vocal screams, a generally constant sense of dissonant melody, etc. One thing that does give them an edge however is the drumming, because where most black metal drummers do nothing but unload senseless and boring blastbeats without any consideration for dynamics, this dude is all over the place with fills and patterns that sound more improvised and based on feel. So even though I have some issues here and there with the drum sound, I definitely give the guy credit for being a raging fuckin' drummer. Two thumbs up. "Compelled to Die" makes the strongest use of intense speeds and subtly melodic chords, while the slightly shorter and more furious "The Calling Forth" actually does a surprisingly good job of adding a darker sort of mood to the relentless speed that sounds a lot different from most black metal of its kind - and that's rather intriguing. A true standout, "Trampling the Cross" slows things down and tosses in some killer discordant riffing, and the slower pacing lets the drummer really show off his knack for wicked fills. This track is easily the finest herein, for my money. This is actually the worst layout the band's ever had, though. Their last record looked slick as hell, and their debut was solid as well, but... this time out the cover art is painfully cheesy (a poorly Photoshopped goat-headed entity holding the sword-penetrated planet in his hands) and the overall aesthetic is just sort of bland and uninteresting. I will give them credit for putting far more effort than usual into the lyrics, however. Yes, the content is still violently antichristian (and anti- all other religions as well) and pro-Satan, which indeed lends itself to a certain air of hokiness, but all things considered there's a lot more meat to the approach with these guys: "Void the afterworld of the blind, deceitful usurpers of flesh and mind, Morals wrapped in hypocrisies, Monotheistic rule ends now, Torture, plunder, pillage and rape, a purging through dictatorial reign, Resistance is met with eradication, From the dawn of time it's been known, what one reaps is what one sows..." All in all Kult ov Azazel is still an excellent representation of what US black metal has to offer, but this record isn't all that it could be in really delivering the goods. Close, but not quite there. I'd much prefer to hear them lighten up on all of the vocal layering and turn up the guitars and bass. A thicker vocal recording would be nice as well, but screw it. They're really close to nailing it, so... I like this record, and I'm still a fan of the band, but they're still reaching for the next level, which is within their grasp. (6/10)
Running time - 36:00, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Compelled to Die, Trampling the Cross, The Calling Forth]
Kult ov Azazel - http://www.kultovazazel.com

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