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.