Blood Stained Dusk’s third album ‘Black Faith Inquisition’ was one of the most intense, exciting, and rewarding records I came across in 2009. Hailing from Huntsville, Alabama and originally set in motion in 1998 this American black metal band seemed to originally take a lot of flak for sounding entirely too much like Emperor during their ‘In the Nightside Eclipse’ era, and while some of the same traits are there this is by no means a rip off band.
BSD writes absolutely sweeping, epic, lengthy (9-14 minute) black metal songs filled with majestic symphonic keyboards, powerful riffing, incredible solos and no less than three different vocal styles (clean operatic, spoken, and growled/screamed) performed by Thomas Kronenes AKA Pest from Gorgoroth and Obtained Enslavement. The actual flow of the music is interesting as it shifts from breakneck black metal speeds to absolutely epic sections, some calmer moments and even some portions of this record are purely synthesized. BFI is an enormously atmospheric and dark recording that projects a mental image of the heavens aflame and shadows stretching throughout all the land.
It should also be mentioned that the album is produced quite well with all the instruments being audible and the front cover and inlay artwork is highly impressive too. Unfortunately BFI marked the last album with original band member Dageth who sadly died in a traffic accident in 2005 at the age of twenty five. It is however inspiring to see that the band was able to pick up the pieces from such an incident and still record an absolutely stunning black metal record.
If you’ve ever doubted the American black metal scene then pick up Black Faith Inquisition and find out first hand that black metal is alive in America and it’s much better than what you’re hearing from other countries.
No comments:
Post a Comment