Review: Metaconqueror “Banishment of the Unforsaken” CD

Having previously heard only one track from Metaconqueror (one that I enjoyed quite a bit) I was quite excited to check out the debut full-length from the project - handled by J. Stillings of Steel Hook Prostheses. Recorded over the course of a year starting nearly two years ago, it's a damn shame this is only now seeing the light of day. Included are nine tracks and just under an hour of supreme dark ambient/death industrial soundscapes just the way I like them: Bleak low-end rumblings, subtle shufflings, pitch-shifted vocals or obfuscated samples, bits and pieces of faintly distorted noise... For the most part the compositions are minimal and fairly quiet, droning on in a repetitive manner that frequently reaches hypnotic lulls. "Dirge of the Crucified" is a fitting title for the first of the tracks that brings in some resonant percussive sounds that persist throughout the selection and create a bit more of a tangible structure, making for one of the strongest moments herein - fading into the equally intense "Order of the Golden Dawn", which keeps a consistent rhythm but brings in crunchier and more aggressive distortion than its predecessors (not to mention some subtly melodic elements that are very effective against the distortion). Several of the closing tracks are rather minimal and unchanging, only slightly shifting to and fro throughout, with the ending "Cerebus" using some very sinister throbs and muted vocal rumblings (I think) to create twisted textures. Most of the compositions hover right around five to six minutes, give or take, which works well to develop themes and move on without dragging anything out or ceasing prematurely. And the sound quality is exceptional as well, smooth and flowing with massive density. The output volume tends to remain at a moderate level since most of the tracks are rather "calm" in delivery, granted they're oppressively bleak and menacing in actual atmosphere. The CD-R comes in a slim plastic case with a onecard insert. The cover art looks excellent and portrays a dark, ominous scene of a decaying landscape with a few crumbling towers, the back side displaying the tracklist over faint woodcut images of devils and demons and such. It looks quite clean and intriguing, my only gripe would be that the milky opaque plastic cheapens a bit of the aesthetic quality and makes the release look a bit less classy. Ignoring financial constraints, I have to confess that a slick packaging job could up the presence of this release enough to make it a real classic of the genre. I would highly, highly recommend this release regardless. This is one of the most consistent and powerful releases of this nature that I've heard in quite some time, and everything about this project interests me and grabs my attention. Excellent work.