XASTHUR/LEVIATHAN „Split”

Country: United States
Music: Black Metal
Website: www.battlekommand.com
Cool Songs: Where the Winter Beats Incessant, Unfailing Fall into Naught

The United States proudly carries on the tradition of grim black metal once confined to frozen Scandanavian grounds. Moribund is the figurehead for this modern movement, and two of its most prominent acts are LEVIATHAN and XASTHUR. These two dark stars joined in evil union for the unholy creation of a split album released through Battle Kommand Records.

XASTHUR is up first on this two group, one-man band split. The albums back art shows shaded, hazy figures, which is the perfect visual representation for the enigmatic audio sole member, Malefic creates. The music he constructs hides behind a veil of harsh production and pitch movements. Malefic incorporates a variety of effects and buries his voice deep into the mix, resulting in a demonic snarl that is truly like nothing of this world. The first two tracks The Eerie Bliss and Torture (of solitude) and Keeper of Sharpened Blades (and ominous tones) have a slow, warped ghostly feel achieved through ominous keyboards and cryptic production. The pace on the later track seems to get slower and slower, like a record player coming to a gradual stop. It is reminiscent of the foreboding record played in the cabin at the beginning of the classic horror film The Evil Dead. With seven tracks total including a rehearsal track Telepathic with the Deceased and a KATATONIA cover Palace of Frost, XASTHUR makes up the bulk of this split.

Next up is LEVIATHAN. The LEVIATHAN side of the album is not as weighty with only three tracks, and one of the tracks being a cover by label mate, JUDAS ISCARIOT, but each track holds its own in worth. Sometimes split albums include dissimilar bands. That is not the case here. Sole member, Wrest also adheres to the minimalist brand of black metal with a bitterly cold production, torturous vocals, and a pace that is only slightly more upbeat than XASTHUR. The guitars tend to linger around the same region of the fret board and have a tone that is nasty and raw. The use of a drum machine fits this mid pace rhythm much better than blazing fast black metal, which can sound like a typewriter if programmed to play too fast. Wrest employs subtle touches of keyboards throughout the second track The Remotest Cipher (beside the last breath vanished). Where The Winter Beats Incessant, which was originally done by JUDAS ISCARIOT, was an excellent choice for a cover considering the similarities between the two bands (Moribund never fails in delivering top-notch, raw black metal). LEVIATHAN does the original justice, not straying far, if at all, from the original version. Like coals in a bon fire, Wrests guitar rings with a sizzling tone on the doom-laced riff near the middle song.

The XASTHUR/LEVIATHAN split is one of the truest black metal split to ever surface among the evil underground. The two bands perform styles that are similar enough that you know you are getting one disc of pure sonic malevolence. The cover songs stay true to each bands style, yet compliment the original artists vision. The original material is some of the best in each bands catalogue. This is nothing more than crude, unhinged, weird, psychotic, neurotic, harsh, trend murdering black metal!

note: 8/10

Tracklist

1. Eerie Bliss and Torture (Of Solitude)
2. Keeper of Sharpened Blades (And Ominous Fates)
3. Conjuration of Terror
4. Instrumental
5. Achieve Emptiness [*]
6. Telepathie with the Deccased
7. Palace of Frost
8. Unfailing Fall into Naught
9. Remotest Cipher (Beside the Last Breath Banished)
10. Where the Winter Beats Incessant

Line-up

XASTHUR-Malefic-all vocals and instruments
LEVIATHAN-Wrest-all vocals and instruments