Gevurahel – Conocedores del Bien y del Mal (I & II)
There are few bands who not only write excellent Black Metal, but who are also actively involved with the beliefs that inspire their music. Argentina’s Gevurahel is one such band, which makes this hard-to-find CD all the rarer.
The band’s name is derived from ‘Gevurah’, part of the sephirothic left hand path. Their inspiration is rooted in Occultism, and I don’t mean they’ve merely read a few Crowley books – the core theme for Gevurahel’s music is frontman Temptor’s own encounters with his spirit-demon, Sassstia. In 2008, Temptor even wrote a book about his experiences, “El Libro De Sassstia” (“The Book of Sassstia”).
This 2007 CD release combines Gevurahel’s two Conocedores del Bien y del Mal demos from 2002 and 2005 (abbreviated to C.B.M. I and C.B.M. II). The music is several years old, but a comprehensive review is well overdue, as I’ve found virtually no coverage of either demo online.
The disc is over 70 minutes long, so I’ll review each demo separately.
C.B.M. I (demo #1)
An un-distorted guitar melody with eerie sound effects provides a short intro to the first track, ‘Reinantes Del Tormento’. As the intro ends, a fast, writhing guitar riff begins, quickly joined by Temptor’s caustic snarls, then the crescendo suddenly builds to its full fury with rapid drumming and throbbing bass.
It’s an impressive beginning – and the remainder of the track is just as strong. The riffs are menacing yet always distinctive. Changes of pace and melody arrive just at the right time to keep the music engaging. But what impresses me most is how the vocals inflict demonic levels of anger into the music. The lyrics are written entirely in Spanish, and Temptor uses the characteristics of his native tongue – such as the rolling RRRR’s – to emphasise his fury.
Throughout the demo, speed is used with restraint, but the slower and mid-paced sections are just as intense. The bass-lines and drumming provide a solid rhythm section, but dominance in the songwriting is always given to the guitars and vocals. Subtle keyboards are also used to add occasional atmospheric background effects, which blend in so well that you may not even notice them.
A common feature in most of the songs is a break in the drumming, which allows the guitars and vocals to build up and twist the song in another direction. These evolving song structures remind me of bands such as Negură Bunget, Mgla or early Emperor (without the keyboards).
The production is well balanced, but not too clean. The guitar tone is rich and dense, yet hisses with a loud rawness that’s reminiscent of Burzum’s ‘Filosofem’ (a comparison with ‘Filosofem’ can also be made with the slightly distorted vocal production). Let’s be clear though – the music is certainly not Nordic in style. As with the vocals, there are nuances in the melodies and atmosphere of Gevurahel’s music that reinforce the fact they are a South American Black Metal band.
The five tracks, each between 5-9 mins, are all distinctive yet work well together as a complete opus. For me, the strongest songs are ‘La Gran Promesa’ and ‘La Herencia Ennegrecida’, but the other three are excellent too. Even without the second demo, C.B.M. I would be worth releasing as an album in its own right.
C.B.M. II (demo #2, also known as ‘Enlace’)
After hearing the excellent studio production of the first demo, I was surprised that the recording of this second demo appears to be a live rehearsal. Well, that’s fine by me. As long as all the instruments are audible and balanced, a decent rehearsal recording such as this one is almost like listening to a live performance.
After an intro of a religious choir chant followed by a distorted guitar melody, the first song, ‘La Herencia Ennegrecida II’ begins and is immediately familiar… It’s apparently a newer version of the the excellent ‘La Herencia Ennegrecida’ from the first demo but, other than the lower quality production, I couldn’t hear anything particularly different about it.
Next is ‘El Tormento Y Luz Para Mi Vida’, which sticks to Gevurahel’s distinctive song-writing formula and is as good as anything on the first demo - more thrashing riffs, tempo changes, crashing drums and Temptor’s raging sermon.
Two short, mainly guitar-based instrumental tunes are next, the latter of which serves as an introduction to the final proper track on this second demo, entitled ‘La Obscura Verdad’ – a mighty 11 minutes of pounding, progressive, angry Black Metal.
Overall, C.B.M. II does not impress as much as the first demo, and I would like to hear the songs with proper studio production, but this is still an enjoyable release that demonstrates the band’s many talents.
Summary…
This CD is a compelling ensemble of occult Black Metal. With such a deeply personal source of spiritual inspiration for their music, combined with superb song-writing and musicianship, Gevurahel are surely one of the finest bands in the South American Black Metal underground.
Finally, as an added (hidden) bonus, the disc also includes CD-ROM material, which gives you access to all the cover artwork and sleevenotes, lyrics etc. for both releases.
The band has already recorded a full album, “Un Obscuro ego Celestial”, which is due to be released any time now through Russian label Orthodox Productions. There are samples from both demos and the forthcoming album on the band’s Myspace page. I also recommend you watch the live video for one of Gevurahel’s new tracks, available on YouTube (see links below).
Buy it (while you can!)
Official Gevurahel Myspace page
Live Video of ‘El Decaer’ (live version of a song from the forthcoming album)
Label (for this release) / Label (for the forthcoming album)
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