When
I've read reviews of Gehenna in the past, much is often made of their
status as a 'second tier' band. They have been around (albeit with
numerous personnel changes) since the days of the second wave, but
are rarely spoken of in the same breath as their more illustrious
countrymen. Earlier works toyed with symphonic stylings, although in
truth they could never quite lay claim to the micro-genre like, for
example, Emperor with In The Nightside Eclipse. Later on,
death metal increasingly became part of their sound. There tends to
be long gaps between records for Gehenna, and maybe this accounts for
the shift in style on Unravel compared to previous full length WW.
Whereas that record, powered by a typically austere display of
blasting from Frost, marked a reduction in the death metal element of
their sound, Unravel moves further away again from their
mid-period style, toward a pure black metal which instantly reminded
me of Ondskapt's Dödens Evangelium.
The
adornments of the earlier records are virtually non-existent on
Unravel. This is black metal in a very pure state, just the vocals,
drums and guitars, with a nicely balanced warm and granular sound,
sufficiently earthen in tone and not particularly heavy on the
treble. The pace tends toward a bustling mid range in terms of speed,
with the drums placed more sympathetically in the mix compared to WW.
Overall I really like the balance of the components, and Sanrabb's
vocals, which tend toward a harsh yet abject bark, offer a nice
bridge between the warmth of the guitars and the slightly muted
percussion.
After
a brief and nicely minimal piano based opening, the guitars
practically sigh into life on The Decision, in such a way which
reflects the almost world weary, forlorn atmosphere that permeates
the music. The tendency toward holding back rather than spewing forth
is a constant theme, and really aids the listening experience of the
album as a whole. I love fiery black metal like Immortal, or 1349,
but sometimes it is great to hear a record which does not attempt to
invoke fire and thunder, but instead aims for a sepulchral, ashen
tone. At times, Gehenna slow proceedings to a doomy morass, such as
with A Grave Of Thoughts and closing track Death Enters. I say
'doomy', but they resist the temptation to emulate the likes of
Faustcoven and entwine genuine doom within the black metal. Instead
these tracks are still very much still black metal, but reduced to a
despondent, syrupy trudge. These slower pieces are well judged and
offer a nice counterpoint to the tempo throughout the rest of the
album.
This
album represents a fairly high standard of mature, mid paced black
metal that invokes a deathly and abject mood, with nice changes of
pace and a well balanced mix. In criticism it might seem a little one
paced at times, but this is offset by songs being generally trimmed
to a good length. The playing is of a good standard as you'd expect
from experienced musicians in this genre. Although there is nothing
ground-breaking in terms of originality, Gehenna have made one of
their most well rounded records for some years.
“Breathe
Fill
Your lungs
and
stagger on
into
a thick black ocean”
(Nothing Deserves Worship).
80%
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