Good timing for this reissue of the second album by Aura Noir as they are just about to unleash their brand new opus ‘Out To Die’ via Indie Recordings. The core trio of musicians should need no introduction at all as between Aggressor, Apollyon and Blasphemer they have played in some of the greatest and ugliest bands in extreme metal including Mayhem, Immortal, Cadaver, Dodheimsgard and I could really go on and on. Deep Tracts Of Hell was originally released back in 1998 via Hammerheart Records, at the time of this recording the group were essentially just a duo comprising of Apollyon and Aggressor and it has now been re-mastered and has a couple of extra tracks. If you have not got it already there really is no excuse (luckily our editor already did, so I managed to snap it up otherwise I would have been completely out of luck).
This is a black thrash attack of the highest order and it blasts in without any hint of an intro as the brash, brazen and ugly swagger of the title track lurches away. Grinding, winding guitars and brutal drumming whirl chaotically around Aggressor (Carl Michael Eide’s venomous snarl.) The pace is picked up as ‘Released Damnation’ blasts out the speakers. There is more going on in this track and melodic miasma that charges away is ever more chaotic and crazed.
Each track is tightly honed to create maximum devastation during its 3-4 minute running time, get it over with and move onto the next attack. Occasionally the tumult slows momentarily to bring a doom-laden but equally hellacious passage into proceedings and then stomp on it as it all piles back in. Of all the bands members have played in it is one that none of them have Darkthrone who I am most reminded of on a number such as ‘Blood Unity.’ Perhaps this is due to the vocal approach which is far from one dimensional and manages to be both rasping and clean and understandable at the same time and hit some of those high notes along with it. By comparison the next one ‘Slasher’ as the title suggests is simply brutal, scything and without little compassion or mercy.
At times fetid and at others downright filthy this is the sort of album that simply gives you a solid three quarter of an hour kicking and makes you work with it thumping and punching the furniture as it cleaves away. There can be a flair up of rancid rotten old fashioned rock and roll and at other times an off kilter, helter-skelter musicality that reminds of the avant-flair of Aggressors other bands Virus and Ved Buens Ende, ‘The Spiral Scar’ being the perfect example of that approach. The satanic speed of ‘To Wear The Mark’ is a suitable ending but as mentioned this release has a couple of bonus tracks ‘Mirage and ‘The Rape, which were also included on the Karmageddon reissue ‘Deep Dreams’ along with the complete album and bonuses. These don’t sound out of place as they were recorded around the same era and ‘Mirage’ is really cool and again pure Darkthrone worship with some excellent high pitched croons. All in all what’s not to like?
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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