Music: Melodic Black Metal
Country: USA
Website: www.shadar-logoth.com
Duration: 37:16
Cool Songs: “Here Lyes: Planet Earth,” “Gallows Hill”
Maine may be better known as the usual setting for Stephen King's novels, but the real Maine is home to a super-obscure quartet calling themselves Shadar Logoth. Their name taken from Robert Jordan's “Wheel of Time” series (isn't this review rich in literary references?), the Shadar Logoth lads play a strange metal hybrid that incorporates elements of Borknagar, Dimmu Borgir, Martriden, Abigail Williams, Blind Guardian, and a thrash metal band or two. To make the comparisons easier, if you enjoyed the “epic-as-fuck” opus released by Abigail Williams back in 2008, imagining the Shadar Logoth sound won't be too hard.
Blanketed by raw production only a band with a next-to-nothing budget could afford, the six massive songs on “Curse” are all rattling drums, humming keyboards, a gothic atmosphere, soaring vocals contrasted by deep growls and generous amounts of melody. People have called them Progressive Black Metal, Blackened Power Metal, Progressive Metal, whatever. Enough already. Shadar Logoth does combine outlandish strands of different genres together and are rather original. In fact, they may be sitting right on top of a new metal music style that's ready to explode. But hold on a second. How about reviewing what the album has in store for the listener instead of unnecessarily hyping the band?
Opener “Footsteps In The Snow” eschews fancy intros and rumbles through its six-minute length. The band's ambition and musicianship are on full display here, but taken in its entirety, Shadar Logoth songs just don't jell. The ingredients are plainly heard, but everything from the disparate harsh/clean vocals and the weak guitars leave you wanting more. Perhaps an accusing finger can be pointed at the production.
As for album highlights, the haunting “Here Lyes: Planet Earth” betrays Shadar Logoth's bent for ambient black metal nature worship while “Gallows Hill” and “The Dread Lord” lie within the realm of the macabre. “Curse” is a fine album crafted by a group of musicians bursting with a unique approach to extreme metal. Shadar Logoth have produced an interesting cult debut you'd want to include in your CD collection. When these guys get signed to a big label, you can always tell your friends you caught Shadar Logoth first in their raw, unbridled glory on “Curse.”
note: 7.5/10
Tracklist
1.Footsteps In The Snow
2.Here Lies: Planet Earth
3.Spitting His Curse With Venom
4.The Path To End
5.Gallows Hill
6.The Dread Lord
Line-up
Daniel Eaton- Vocals, Guitars
Samuel Denson- Bass
Christopher Michaud- Keyboards
Philip “Ardroth” Trembley- Drums
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