Band's List Black Metal Negative Plane Stained Glass Revelations

Florida and Extreme Metal? You’d usually think Death Metal right away, correct? Well, true enough but in this sunbathed state from the US can come some grimmer bands than Deicide or Nocturnus. Negative Plane formed back in 2001 and have played Black Metal ever since. Despite a rather limited amount of previous releases, they made a name for themselves. Some of this well deserved fame is the release of their first record “Et In Saecula, Saeculorum” which garnered enthusiastic reviews from around the world and some of it is just because the USBM scene is plagued with Depressive/Atmospheric Black Metal, from Xasthur to WITTR and their nameless and countless hordes of clones. Which means that something new and fresh is always welcome from a scene that produces very seldom interesting things (did I say boring?).

Negative Plane play Black Metal in a very unorthodox way. While there is a limitless supply of bands that try to reproduce, for the nth time, Darkthrone’s Under a Funeral Moon or Burzum’s Filosofem, the Florida-based band chose to incorporate many religious artifacts and a very distinct sound of guitars, something much of a trademark for the band. The excellent use of keyboards, always used in the right quantity never abusive, unobtrusive, lends the band this religious feeling. It’s something close to Denial of God’s use of keyboards minus the grand-guignol of the Danes.

As I said the sound of the guitars is very unique in Negative Plane. Try to picture Mariachis from Hell, damned evangelists playing the mass in Roberto Rodriguez’ From Dusk till Dawn. This Latino feel added to those religious keyboards make up for a very interesting experience as if you were attending a Messe Noire in a blasphemed cathedral. An experience you've most likely probably never had if you're not familiar with Negative Plane's debut.

Aside the positive remarks, maybe some more atmosphere dispersed throughout the record would have been a nice touch; the tracks are rather long which help to somehow build up the ambiance but also sometimes make it seem a bit worn out. It’s still a very solid record and the fact that it is rather unusual in a period where "War Metal" bands share the limelight with Pagan uninspired acts should motivate the acquisition from seasoned Black Metal amateurs.