I’m going to repeat myself and state that if I were to go down the route of creating a “favourite albums of all time” list, Farsot’s “Insects” (2011) would be in it. In fairness, these creators of black metal atmospheres have been responsible over the years for three great albums, not to mention an interesting split with ColdWorld. The themes of the songs on “Life Promised Death” unsurprisingly involve life slipping out of hand and include lethargy, excess, delusions of grandeur and selfishness. It points to a bleak outlook from a long-standing band whose avant-garde music goes well beyond the uniformity of the bleak soundscapes that might be suggested.
The drama is built up from the beginning. With a rapid drum beat to drive it along “Nausea” develops into a forceful yet melodic piece of sinister nastiness. The band put the catchiness down to their liking of grunge. What I hear is a sophisticated, well-constructed and diverse song, which was always going to capture interest. “Buoyant Flames” starts as a rapid ball of energy. The vocalist growls out his message, but again it’s the structure of the song which is most captivating. From harsh and fiery black metal, it slows down into a deft acoustic section and haunting chorus before the fire re-ignites. The chorus line is now deep. Those buoyant flames are represented by the explosive music. A faint keyboard sound adds intrigue. With harsh and softer instrumentals, a range of vocals, menace and subtle delicacy, Farsot expertly pull together an abundance of ingredients. “Into Vertigo” we go. A deep voice narrates the start. The riff has the withering black metal style of a Norwegian black metal band circa 1994. The song develops into dark and dangerous territory, picking up in pace and intensity before seamlessly slowing down and heading into a mystical and expansive Enslaved-like section. Musically “Into Vertigo” explodes with colour. It is utterly epic, masterly and from a listener’s point of view, full of excitement.
By contrast “Chimera” starts acoustically and in a quiet folksy way but there’s an eeriness about it, and the fire appears as the music thickens and intensifies. Between bouts of firepower, the intervening passages are subtle and sophisticated. It is controlled throughout. Deep, dark voices introduce the story as “Stray Dogs” hits us with a more traditional, old style, driving black metal riff. A strangulated voice takes us into an Opeth-like acoustic passage but this is far from Opeth. The guitar work is skilful but this is Farsot creating an overriding atmosphere of menace before cranking up again and returning to an avalanche of agonised black metal. The mood is uniform but the delivery within the songs of it is subject great variations. They are creative and it is fluid. “I don’t even try to cry for help”, announces the narrator hopelessly during the acoustic opening of “Descent” before the intensity increases and through the medium of raw black metal we re-enter Farsot’s grainy and fiery world. The music has melody but the ambiance and vocals are downtrodden, making an intriguing mix. It can be heavy but this is not the exclusive quality. The album features many sophisticated instrumental passages. it’s the flow and creative progress of the songs which made most impact on me. “Lost Momentum” has a different kind of flow, relying on a steadier beat. The menace appears out of the dark underworld which the band inhabits. Dark mutterings appear through both black metal and expressive guitar passages. The tempo transforms as “Lost Momentum” fires up to give us one final epic and memorable passage on this album of dark, darker and darkest moods.
This album is a thoroughly entertaining march through the darker elements of life. It’s not supposed to be pretty and isn’t but Farsot carefully and skilfully inject structures and create flowing and varied passages which both reinforce the menace and captivate the listener at the same time. “Life Promised” is a top quality, thoughtful and intelligent album.
(9/10 Andrew Doherty)
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