Hats off to the label for accommodating these two bands from the north of England for this split album.
The bands’ own creations are sandwiched between an ambient intro and outro as they would be known in some circles. I’m not sure this works so well though and there’s less time and space to listen to the creations of the two bands. The intro “Moonrise” comes in the form a howling canine sounds which overlay sad symphonies, suggesting a film score setting in the middle of nature and forests. It’s attributed to Torver. I’m not sure how that relates to their native Cumbria. It actually has a tang of Burzum about it. But then I guess that I wouldn’t expect a band from Grimsby to evoke de rigueur the sounds and smells of the once glorious fish docks. It’s a bit strange though and misleading. Although it reeks “atmosphere”, it’s always better when the atmosphere creeps up on you instead of being incongruously thrust in your face.
After what I saw as a false start, Torver [6/10] get 10 minutes to display their wares. Once we’re through the birds tweeting and a sort of industrial drone, “Naked in the Wilderness” is an odd mix of black metal. It’s kind of old school in the way of Darkthrone but expansively explosive with echoing screams. I didn’t like the “pagan” style ritual chant. There are sparks in the air and with it a dark and dingy atmosphere which recall the wilderness of its title but for me it was like the wheels had fallen off a defective machine, even when it cuts away from the moaning and tears off into a modern style of irrepressible black metal. “Lunar Ritual”, the other contribution from Torver, left me similarly baffled. If anything, this one was stranger than “Naked in the Wilderness”. This time, the set list contains a willowy sound, more ritualism and a pompous spoken section in the midst of a fiery and furious forward-moving riff, which breathed life and sense into the track. Bizarrely, the track ends with a curious pop style fade out with the repetition of “Lunar Ritual”. Instrumentally Torver are good. Their sound effects are interesting and whilst I am aware that they masquerade under the designation of “avant garde”, or at least that what the publicity said, in my opinion they need to sort themselves out and get some clarity into what they’re doing.
Time then for Arcane North [8.5] from county Durham. Now this digs deep. Creepy and harsh, “Spirit of the North” plumbs impressive depths. Swaying backwards and forwards, the chant has impact, it’s doomy and the track oozes boiling nastiness. Each note hammers the nail in further. From this we’re taken to appropriately windswept opening of “Cold Lonely Moors”. It’s prolonged desperation, echoing and atmospheric, stopping and lingering. There’s real horror in the tone. Pictures are painted of a lonely place replete with decrepitude and decay. There’s a subtle melancholy in the sound in amongst the screams and violence. The progression, which features symphonic sounds and the ringing of bells, is spine-tingling. There’s no comfort. Even the rasping spoken word has impact and blends into the track neatly. My only disappointment with “Cold Lonely Moors” was the end, which lacked suitable power or definition. But overall, these two epic and cold tracks from Arcane North were impressive.
All that remained was some more Burzum style melancholy, this time with a cosmic twist. I’m not sure about that really. It was good to listen to these two bands, who were completely new to me, and I look forward to following their progress in the future.
(Andrew Doherty)
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