Rahu – Ride of the Eight Black Steeds
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 of darkest art it feels more substantial than that. The opening song, imaginatively titled ’666;, gallops forth with great low-fi sound and great traditional riffing and you’ll be mistaken for thinking Rahu is business as usual. That though gets demolished as a cursory intro scream pierces the airwaves like a multi-dimensional witch squirting out an orgasm from the planes of pain!
It is a good intro to the vocals though as they follow no patterns or trends and in brilliant contrast to the lazy guitaring are insane and fucked up. Changing from high pitched agony to strange doomy moaning and another handful of styles, then belching out a semi-clean howl. In keeping with Finland’s tradition of bands that offer us music that’s a little different Rahu do just that.
Not only musically but also in their concepts as the subject matter of the band is based heavily upon Hindu mythology and that in itself is a breath of freash black air from all the espousment of ultra-evil satanic ideologies. Thankfully that’s not the only noteable aspect of this duo because, as mentioned above, the music is also inspired, unusual and interesting to listen to.
The second, and arguably the best, track entitled: ‘To Devour the Sun’ employs a black/doom feel to it with a decent helping of reverb in the guitars but also a weighted heaviness. It chugs along menacingly like a filthy subterranean coal drilling machine and unleashes its menace with a nice change of key and grim vocals.
Finally the title track powers up and is alot more upbeat in its tempo and featuring ranting vocals and medium hammering drums. There is a well timed little break and change of riff towards the end of the track too to keep things mixed up.
I really like this demo as it offers alot of new ideas coupled with really great arrangements and ideas. The only problem is that there is not enough of it, so I’m hoping that the band are currently getting things in place for a full length. Regardless of that, this demo stands out all of its own merit.
Black Metal is dead. In the UK at least. Seeing as though it is the place that gave birth to the genre it is as fuckin’ useless a broke-dick dog. There is no scene to speak of, just the odd one or two equally useless bands trying in vain to mimic some of the more [...]
Opening with a song title of the length Bal Sagoth would be proud of (thankfully that’s as the only comparison to draw), the imaginatively titled ‘A Glimpse of the Image of Lucifer Gleaming Beyond the Subterraneous Black Sun’ marches forth. Mid paced, it stamps away with the precision of a well oiled Black Metal machine [...]