Formed in 2003 by one Meilenwald the drummer of Nagelfar, The Ruins Of Beverast seem to be more obscure than I had thought judging by a few reactions which actually gave me a little pause for thought. The Ruins are, you see obviously a doomy black metal band but far from being an obvious black metal band. They are in fact, in the best possible way a total headache for a reviewer so buckle up because that title isn’t the only complex and involved thing here and there are precious few easy comparisons. What you do get, though, besides that vibrant cover, is eighty odd minutes of serious music.
Yep. Eighty. About par for the course with them.
They open with an extended spoken intro of ‘Apologia’ before we drift via almost choral sounds and distorted, juddering vocals into the slow riffs of ‘Daemon’. It picks up the black metal speed via some hard drumming before the church organ pulls it again into the slow stream and a harsh funeral pace. With the combination of harsh black metal and the ponderous moments it builds a thick and simmering atmosphere but feels a little directionless with it until you can pick out the melody lurking beneath the noise. Then the true sound of The Ruins begins to settle in.
‘Malefica’ brings the quiet and the picked, echoing guitar notes with occasional cascading riffs. Those stuttering vocals are joined by weird, almost bubbling ones. The total effect is truly eerie; like Endvra on The Great God Pan walking through the most introspective Type O Negative moments with Skepticism or Wolves In The Throne Room taking the riffs in turn. This is The Ruins Of Beverast at their sublime, dark and utterly beguiling best. It is just a gentle step on from their previous album Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered Elite and is their own eerie, glowing sound that rises up from the heart of turbulent black metal. It has that religious, church feel with the organ but as twisted, esoteric and occult as they come. Actually quite, quite brilliant.
‘Ornaments Of Malice’ drives into the cavern created with a lovely, rough, down-tuned and mid paced riff of black metal, rasped vocals and the occasional fall of a half dozen melancholic melodic notes for contrast. It finds a moment of calm at its centre; Latin chants, a funereal riff twisting its way past the cloaked figures, occult ritualistic dread taking us to ‘Spires, The Wailing City’. More half spoken bubbling, rasping voices, a riff that takes four minutes or so to get going and yes, maybe the first misstep. Compared to the colours of before, the choppy death metal chug seems grey and the rumble it moves into disappointing. At thirteen, fourteen minutes it is also long enough to lose me.
‘Failed Exorcism’ is back in the fold of ‘Malefica’ just with the engine from ‘Spires..’ driving it. This time it works and you wonder if the previous track was needed, or was necessary when this walks such a similar death, funeral, black metal path but with far more focus. It also, somehow smoothly segues into and an amazing bit or martial drumming allied to chants before pitching deep into a black metal drive almost Melechesh like in its ability to conjure winds, with a North African tint there but almost hidden.
‘Trial’ is short, a sparse chanting number to the slow beat of the drum that launches some insane, disturbing, rapid ranting vocals. An argument you never quite catch but built on layers of voices, each seemingly talking over and arguing; a sound I haven’t heard anything quite like since Eno’s ‘The Jezebel Spirit’. ‘Ordeal’ which follows is a more voices but the beat is headlong, a short barrage of blasting like low rumbling thunder before we reach the final epic of ‘Monument’ and an ominous, slow twisted, doom stride towards the end.
And we are done. I’m really not sure if anyone else sounds quite like The Ruins Of Beverast and Meilenwald is someone for whom the word auteur is clearly meant. That of course means a certain self-indulgence, a level of insulation against the criticisms of the world. A sheltered elite even. Yes I could shave fifteen minutes from this at a stroke and still leave a huge album. Despite that this isn’t bloated, more monolithic and as difficult to climb as it sounds. You can’t dip into this album really and it’s huge length makes it difficult to both find time for and to find your way in. It is worth the attempt though, really worth it.
This is doom laden occult black metal off the highest standard and with all the difficulties, indulgences and idiosyncrasies that entails. Enter only when you are prepared and you may well love it. Unprepared and its sheer length will crush you before you even begin the difficult task of finding your way through these labyrinthine Ruins.
(No idea how to score this, but a good 8/10 Gizmo)
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