Shadowlore - Embers of Light Dying demo 1996
1) As the Waters Darken
2) Embers of Light Dying
Zippyshare / Mediafire
Today's contribution by master Fenrirsson, thanks for the rip, takes us to United Kingdom which is not really too well known for black metal despite spawning the band that named the whole genre. In the mid 90's you basically had Cradle of Filth, Thus Defiled and Bal-Sagoth, COF starting as death metal and TD black/death, then if you dug a bit deeper you might encounter the likes of Dead Christ, Megiddo, The Fallen, Witchclan, Silence (which I still need to hear for myself, provided they even recorded anything!), Ewigkeit, Ordog and Xaztur. Oh yeah and Hecate Enthroned, never forget! They were really much better known for death and doom metal plus combinations of those. Hmm, where was I? Oh yeah, today's thingy, the only demo from Shadowlore, side project by Thus Defiled Pauls Carter and Foster-Dent. We have featured Thus Defiled extensively enough earlier so let's not go biographing this time. No cover as F was working with a dub so there's just the small image I looted from a crypt somewhere online.
This is the original two song version of the demo, there was also a later re-release by Dark Trinity Productions with two more recent songs on the B-side (which I'd be curious to hear), probably had a different cover too but that's pretty much all I know about that. Both songs are decent length so it lasts a bit over ten minutes. If you're familiar with the first two Thus Defiled albums, between which this was done, you'll recall they were black/death metal with increasing emphasis on melody on the second one as well as keyboards taking more prominence while the demo material was pretty much death metal tinged with black. This recording by the two Pauls is straight up synth black metal with black metal rasps, screams and whispers for vocals and machine percussion support. The sound is not too far away from the TD releases of the era really, the sparse instrumentation just makes it thinner and obviously less heavy. Both songs are divided into intro parts and "song proper" with the rest of the elements (vocals and percussion that is) joining the keyboards. I seem to enjoy this today more than on the previous listen, so perhaps it is again one of those things that grow on you? Can't help wondering how it'd sound with some guitar buzz thrown in. Is that a bass on the second track that I hear? I was under the impression it was just vox and synth, though it could be more keyboards shenanigans. Also, I'd really like to hear the two later bonus tracks so if you have that version please get in touch!
6 kommenttia:
British Black metal always has fascinated me... and this one's no exception with that :)
Thanks!
@Grev:
I'm personally really bothered by the band Silence I mentioned, check the link to a scan of their flyer I updated to the post. I don't remember encountering 'em elsewhere besides that flyer and dearly regret not trying to buy their demo or whatever recording the "four bloodfreezing tracks" appeared on! Judging from the backside of the flyer I should've asked Matt of Witchclan if he had that one.
Well. I haven't heard Silence (only trade list for long time ago) BUT I'm very curious to heard that too.
I'll hope that Matt could help you (and me)
@Grev:
I'll ask once I'm in touch with him again, but wouldn't get my hopes too high! Interesting that you remember it from trader lists, any idea of the demo name or anything else, their flyer isn't very helpful. There was also a German synth project Silence that did two tapes and I'd need those too.
Hearty thanks to Frenrirsson and our host. I guess I'll label this one a "curio". On first listen the blackish vox seemed out of place, I was rather expecting more chanted stuff to suit the mood. And unlike Velkaarn I'm not so intrigued by what the specter of guitars might have added here. I'm kind of just digging what the Pauls did, though it's hard to discern what exactly they were going for. Which is great. Thanks to the Coven and its contributors for giving it an airing here.
@Ian/kp:
You're welcome and glad you enjoyed it. Adding the guitars would of course diminish the uniqueness of the recording but can't help musing things like that. Damn I'd want to hear the two additional tracks! Hopefully a copy of that version shows up at reasonable price somewhere.
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