Now, I’m no expert in black metal (or anything else for that matter) but I know a bit and I know what I like. Few black metal bands ‘do it’ for me to be honest, they either sound like they’ve been recorded on a mono tape deck…. sealed in a biscuit tin…. and buried in the middle of a compost heap …which also doubles as their ‘oh so mysterious’ and illegible logo or they’re all full of proggy waft, singing about tree trunks and valleys and shit. Then there’s the bunch that dress up like gimp extras from a no budget Hammer re-make and pretend to be vampires or whatever. Still, each to their own but BM never grabbed me like death metal does.
I do know enough though to know that Tasmania isn’t the first place you think of when you think of black metal. That’s not gonna change anytime soon but Ruins are doing their level best to make it so.
Forming in 2002, this two – piece from Hobart, blend a nasty & jagged death metal vibe with some really atmospheric and powerful black metal. Technically sound and with some heavy duty rhythmic structures, this is some of the most listenable and enjoyable BM I’ve heard in ages.
As I mentioned, Ruins is a two-piece consisting of guitarist / vocalist Alex Pope and drummer Dave Haley, who also smashes the shit out of his kit for tech death heavy weights, Psycroptic. Gig wise the band are rounded out by Dave’s brother and fellow Psycroptic member Joe Haley who provides live guitar and Kai Summers handles bass.
‘Undercurrent’ is the guys fifth full length and shows a marked refinement from previous releases. The band have concentrated and perfected their own sound and the album has nine powerful and relentless tracks for you to get your ears round from the multi-faceted album opener ‘Shadow Of A Former Self’, the almost D-Beat / crust tinged ‘Certainty The Adversary’ to the blasting ‘Filled With Contempt’ this album is never once boring and you don’t get the ‘heard it all before’ feeling you get (well I do) from a lot of modern black metal. Strong melodies, lightning fast riffing and savage yet intelligible growling vocals with an entirely organic sounding production ensure plenty of repeated spins. If I had to try and describe them I’d say they have the speed & aggression of Dimmu Borgir with no symphonic bits or keyboard twaddle.
Are Ruins ‘trv kvlt’ black metal or whatever the inadequates waffle on about while sat at their keyboards flexing their finger muscles and polishing their nail studded armbands? Who gives a shit. This band is clearly passionate about what they do and they’re doing it in their own way and I for one really like the sound of it.
(8/10 Mark Eve)
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