After a couple of well received and critically acclaimed EP’s Lotan are now ready to unleash their first full length, self-titled spawn, and it is a prime example of how to execute Melodic Black N’ Roll with an aggressive tinge.
Opening track ‘Diabolis Victor’ starts with haunting oral vocal sounds over a chilling piano segment before the vocals from Rubini attack with a force reminiscent of that with which Cerberus guards the entrance to the Underworld. The track is ferocious from start to finish, carving you open and plunging its grasp into your soul in order to decimate it with a strength that is impressive in its power and precision. The track is vicious and cruel in its makeup with a definite melodic undertone, one which keeps the whole expedition anchored to the ground, while the bass and drum work help it adopt a muscular and violent air to the whole riotous journey. As the track ends with a delicate and intricate piano recital, one which mirrors that with which it started the whole rampage, the album introduces you to the second coming, one by the name of ‘Ignis.’
‘Ignis’ begins with a fairly stripped back drum intro before melodic and fragile guitar work join the party which are then crowned with some agitated and brutal vocals which lead us into the darkness with a suitable maniacal potency. The track breaks mid proceedings with a calm and subdued segment before launching back into the full on assault once again, an assault which adds even more potency than its predecessor.
‘Ashera’ brings in a gradual intro to the track before a grimy and filthy vocal stance welcomes you to the parade. The instrumental backbone is crunchier and chuggier than we have seen already on the album and the drums seem to be more frenzied and raucous with the riffs being punchy and military in their deliverance which all entangle to create an effective and forceful brutal aura. The vocals are more venomous than we have seen Lotan deploy previously and more indicative of a raw and toxic black metal posture, elegant and sophisticated string work being employed before the track fades out and makes way for the centre piece of the album, ‘Ishtar’.
‘Ishtar’ starts with more of a ‘Rotting Christ’ feel to it, haunting chanting laid on top of melodic and enchanting drums and fretwork open up the track and continue to be adopted throughout. With the track taking on more of a Hellenic feel to the first half, it is interesting to note that it espouses and flaunts a definite Scandinavian feel as it progresses through the journey rather than choosing to keep both of its feet firmly in the Balkan Peninsula, which is refreshing considering how the track had propelled out of the blocks to start with.
As we start our descent, ‘Servant Of Yammu’ opens up with headbanging inducing riffs and chords sitting alongside speedy drum work and then savage and rabid vocals, each word being spat out with venomous potency and spite. The track slows a little during its mid-section in order for the guitars and drums to intertwine and entertain you before the vocals appear again and seemingly encourage the pace to be picked back up again to its former self. During the second half the vocals become more splendorous and majestic, more ardent and zealous, each word being delivered with obvious belief and cruel intentions which lead the way for the track to fade out into the frozen barren war-torn landscape which has been created before it.
Penultimate track, ‘The Faithless,’ opens with an acoustic and delicate guitar segment before the electrics announce their attendance with power and aggression. Rubini doesn’t disappoint again on the vocal duties and Schmidt is an obvious force behind the kit, alternating between merciless kick drums and barbarous beatings of the loftier skins. The compelling strings of Dragsberg and Kaaber seem to have been pumped up and have more of a colourful and catchy characteristic about them whilst the drums infiltrate the whole track with an ego and muscular persona which they only seemed to try to impersonate on the earlier tracks rather than execute savagely on this track.
The whole album is finished off with ‘Leviathan’ which starts with a blues jazz vibe which sits amongst the audible sounds of waves lapping up onto the sandy grains of a beach, leaving the way for a more calculated track to be launched into. The whole song is more relaxed and decadent, a certain feeling of luxury is personified and the melody surrounding the track is colossal and opulent with the vocals being more sumptuous than raw and abrasive which we have nurtured prior to this sacrifice. The track stops mid flow and seems to change its course in order to generate and offload a stately and dignified selection of rhythmic and pulsing ranges which pulsate beneath the very body of work being orchestrated. This track is more than competent in its content and portrayal, I just cannot help but keep waiting for a shift up in gears which never seem to come. I do think that there is a definite trick that has been missed, one of letting itself go a little more and deliver more of a lesson in aggressive and intoxicating black metal rather than sitting on the fence firmly between the hostile and antagonistic camp and the luxurious and atmospheric shore.
‘Lotan’ is definitely a very well versed and proficient offering and one which will entertain many for the time that it spins beneath the stylus but for the more discerning soul who demands their black metal with more of a clear-cut identity, this may just fall slightly shy of the mark. That being said, this is a masterful work of the black arts and one which I would encourage anyone to grab a copy of, just bear in mind it may not suit all moments in time so be careful when choosing your desired moment on which you spin the black vinyl.
(8/10 Phil Pountney)
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