Morte Incandescente – Coffin Desecrators
I wonder how the underground of the early 90′s survived intact. These days it is easy to find good underground bands with the proliferation of the internet, Myspace and the unprecedented Metal Archives putting the deepest reaches of the genre only a few clicks away.
Back in the day I could only rely on the mainstream press for very limited morsels of information, and lets face it, for the most part they haven’t a clue…or choose not to include it in their publications for fear of diminished sales figures! Recently I have felt a bit like the Mr. Bean of Black Metal! Not that I’m a bumbling fuckwitt but more in the sense of realisation once the moment has passed.
So with that glazed dozy smirk on my face I found Morte Incandescente’s 2005 platter of lovingly poisoned Black Metal. It didn’t grab me straight away but that is a sign of quality craftsmanship. What did make me pay attention, as I sampled the Myspace trimmings, was the high pitched riffing, a commodity now frequently neglected in today’s scene. I was pleased when the copy I bought was fired up for the first time and I was treated to more of the same.
‘Pela Noite Dentro’ opens up nicely at a slow pace but quickly lets you know what’s in store. With their purely simplistic and necro style you can almost sniff at the tendrils of rot creeping from the speakers. If that hasn’t convinced you then ‘Once the Funeral has Begun’ will. It lives up to it’s, and the album’s, name. Picking up the pace slightly from track one I can only liken the vocals to the ghastly muttering of a freshly re-animated cadaver sliding open the lid of it’s casket and barking profanities at the shocked congregation of mourners.
Although massively enjoyable it leaves you feeling drained, as if defiled by a cold, clammy skeletal finger. They offer you no respite from their foul onslaught as the anthemic ‘Black Skull Crushing Metal’ commences. Faster again, its another Black Metal stampfest with superb stompy riffing, grumbling drumming and those scratchy undead vocals piercing the airwaves.
This changes near the middle of the song as a colossal grim riff begins and with a shriek they plunge into a chainsaw buzzing chorus that will never fail to make the corners of your mouth turn down in compliance. Truly a song for your all time greatest playlist if ever there was one.
‘Doce Sabor A Morte’ tones things down and lets your head recuperate somewhat but maintains a lethargic menace. It builds through the song and keeps dropping into an excellent passage reminiscent of The Shadowthrone’s most glorious moments. ‘Dazzling Sorrow Might’ features another noteworthy vocal performance which glosses over the comparatively intermediate guitars.
‘Amaldiçoados’ is a fuckin’ belter. Yet again a song that builds itself up with an almost hymn-like chorus. Then we are assaulted by ‘Necro Culto’ and the closing ‘Neste Meu Caixão’ a proper funeral dirge which closes the album down nicely. Rarely gathering pace it lets you relax a little after the intensity of the other tracks.
Underground classics don’t come about that often and everyone has their own favourites according to taste. This is fast becoming one of mine with its totally necro sound and production from start to finish and is pure Black Metal gold. If you’re serious about your underground rawness then you should get yourself a copy of this, it’ll stay somewhere near the very top of your CD mountain for quite some time to come. Essential for all raw enthusiasts!
I admit I was more than a little sceptical when I got a request to review this Italian band. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a band that sounded more like some American gospel singers than satanic Black Metal! Thankfully after literally one second of listening my somewhat ridiculous assumptions were raped and pillaged [...]
I only recently discovered Rahu, who purvey original and very replayable Finish Black Metal of the highest calibre. This is a demo from 2008 that has since been released as part of a best of featuring this and their other demo on one CD. Although there are only three tracks delivering a mere seventeen minutes [...]