Список групп Death Black Smouldering In Forgotten I, Devourer

Taking their name off one of their greatest influence, Goatwhore, Smouldering in Forgotten releases their second album, I, Devourer. Hardly a fan of Goatwhore, it is fortunate then that Smouldering in Forgotten brings nothing too similar to them as they present a more brutal form of black/death metal to listeners. Also while vocalist Mardus' previous band Al-Namrood failed to catch my attention, this band has surprisingly managed to do so.

The band wastes no time as they start off their aural attack with An End to All Things, with the powerful blast beats on the (programmed) drums. Frontman Mardus' style of vocals is an abrasive style of growling, further pushing the aggressiveness and emphasising the power in the music, almost bringing to mind Amon Amarth's Johan Hegg. Even the music reminds listeners of the aforementioned, and images of topless well-built men windmilling in a synchronised manner instantly comes to the mind.

While the riffs mostly stick to a conventional melodic blackened death metal style, at times they reek of middle-eastern influence, evident right from the opening track of the album, An End to All Things. This is especially prominent and further displayed in the guitar solos unleashed by the axe-wielding duo Tael and Voidhanger on songs such as Dread Messiah. On this song as well, the band's various influences are shown, with moments reminding listeners of Polish blackened death metal legends Behemoth.

The band's songwriting capabilities are evident through the inclusion of fist-pumping choruses on tracks such as Dread Messiah, amongst the chaos of the rest of the instruments. The clever usage of spoken vocals on this track also further push the boundaries of the music, infusing a certain sinister feel to ensure that listeners constantly craze for more. Such moments are again present on songs such as Unspoken Names, with the extended spoken vocals introductory section setting up the mood and building up the anticipation and climax before letting all hell break loose upon the listener once more. Various other effects are also used such as the tolling of bells on Ash and Tallow to further darken the already heavy and haunting atmosphere, bringing an ominous feeling to listeners.

The good mix of fast and slow songs ensure that listeners are kept constantly interested, throwing curveballs when least expected. While songs such as Spiritus Nes Sancti provide only a small dosage of such moments through the atmospheric piano closing of the song, the closing track An Elegy (For Tomorrow) is an excellent example of such surprises that the band has included for listeners, with the band ditching their usual style of black/death metal choosing instead to end the album with a gothic-influenced track, complete with dreamy/haunting female vocals and a dark atmosphere, providing a fitting end to this masterpiece.

One might probably be put off by the inclusion of programmed drums on the album, instead of using a real drummer. However this is nothing to be worried about as the drums are programmed in an excellent manner and one could easily mistake it to be real recorded drums as the band does not push the limit by including impossible (fast or mechanical) parts. Even the tone of the drums sound authentic enough, making it extremely hard to believe that these are programmed drums even after numerous listens.

This is overall a good effort by the band. The excellent musicianship displayed by the individual members have certainly left a good impression, and Smouldering in Forgotten has certainly set a high mark for Bahraini metal.