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.
Cette espèce de "Latino-BM", quel cachet !
Putain j'avais jamais entendu un truc pareil...!
Edit 2014 :
Not sure that you ought to be a "seasoned Black Metal amateur" to really enjoy this fabulous record.
For sure you can picture 'From Dusk till Dawn', nethertheless Stained Glass Revelations reminds me of the dirtier, crustier 'Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'. Fits better to this psychedelic atmosphere, with beautiful arpeggios and clear-sound chords. Really late 60's / early 70's atmospheres.
Almost like if you were lost in the mexican desert, finding out a bunch of weird mariachis playing a bizarre incantation in a small chapel (lots of reverb), and casting spells on mescaline.
Pure magic !
A talented bybrid between Darkthrone, Nocturnus and the depressive Black Metal scene.
17/20 for me, the best Black Metal album I listened this year with the last Svartsyn. However this record goes beyond Black Metal, with in particular atmospheric and even psychedelic plans nearly like Pink Floyd.
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