Lake of Blood 

Heed the Primal Calling

Milkweed Records 2008

I try not to read the bio sheets for a lot of the bands I review as I don't want to them taint my view of the music I find within.  So it was with some amusement that after I had formed my opinion on Lake of Blood and read the bio-sheet, the two main obvious influences for this American black metal band were spelled out before me in black and white, Weakling and Wolves in The Throne Room.  Which is not to indicate that I find this 4 song EP boring or derivative at all.  What these dark artists bring to the table is atmospheric black metal full of riffing that inspires wonder at nature's beauty.  The opening song, Nameless I Arise, paints a picture of green forests with gloomy shadows creeping in from all directions.  A sense of sorrow seeps in from these same edges undercut by some subtle hints of early Enslaved.  The title tracks is a nostalgic yet frothing beast that seems to dwell within its own sorrow all the while lashing out in rage.   Somber melodies along with Haagr's vocals bring to mind echoes of Red In the Sky is Ours era At the Gates.  As a matter of fact it has been quite some time that I have heard a vocalist with the heart wrenching tragedy of Thomas Lindberg glass skewered throat.  The Darkest Path is the weakest song on offer here until the acoustic guitar is woven into this bestial tapestry.  The production could use some cleaning up though the EP has a really organic feel to it.  I think that has more to do with the songwriting and the musicians than the production.  This EP is a a promising start to Lake of Blood's career.  With some maturation and growth I think that Lake of Blood could assume their place among the pantheon of atmospherically naturalist black metal along the likes of their more well known contemporaries WITTR and Weakling.