Review by Felix on May 17, 2020.

Black metal is a weapon against silence, bad feelings and Corona (the hyperactive virologists will confirm this very soon). Occasionally it also puts a smile on your face. Gloom, a new entity from, of course, Finland, have song titles like 'Iron Claws of Black Metal' or 'F**k Your Faith' and these names in combination with the ultra-raw sound give rise to the assumption that we are listening to some comedians who spoof the blackest subgenre the metal world knows. But Finland is always dark, cold and suicidal and therefore we do not need to think about a parody any longer. The poet who wrote the promo tells us that "Gloom is the intersection where ugly urban despair and the madness of the woods meet". Good to know, because I would not have realized it otherwise. In my humble opinion, the band just plays classic black metal. Let's say it's Azaghal with an over-revved production and almost ridiculously abrasive vocals. Gloom are also not far away from Black Beast, to drop another name from the land of the thousand black metal bands. Either way, good nerves are necessary to listen to the eight tracks that constantly sound like a screaming vacuum cleaner gone mad.

Gloom do not start a revolution in terms of Finnish black metal. They rather walk on trodden paths, but they do it with sinister elegance. Their tradition-conscious approach makes them to be very convincing representatives of their country which is going to get more and more the globally leading position with respect to the blackest art – not only in terms of quantity. The songs are based on harshness and slightly melodic leads while developing a good flow. They do not lack coherence and only fools would complain that they fail to show a unique identity. Of course, the songs do not impress with an extra portion of individuality, but the homogeneity of the material is rather a blessing than a curse. Maybe some people permanently need formations that take an entire subgenre "to the next level" and to my big surprise I have read that this is no fault in character. Nevertheless, I do not share this ideology of constant progress. I simply miss the proof that it makes the music (or the world) better. In an era of climate change (yes, it still goes on, although the Corona virus has degraded it to a marginal note) it is all the more necessary that Finnish black metal tastes ice-cold, misanthropic and rabid.

As mentioned before, all songs point in the same direction. Only the title track at the end of the running order houses a pretty strange guitar line that sets in at 2:10. Without the background noise, it could be part of a traditional metal album. However, the inorganic, blurred mix and the bestial aura leave no doubt that one is definitely not listening to pure old school heavy metal. And so I enjoy the tremolo picking of the aforementioned 'Iron Claws of Black Metal' and it's almost dramatic profoundness. I also see no reason to f**k my faith while inhaling the eponymous track which scores with merciless guitars and dynamic outbursts. Finally, the pounding drums, the atmospheric keyboards and the stormy guitars of 'Murder Yourself' make so much sonic fun that I am not able to obey this slightly presumptuous order. Thus, if you have some time, for example because you are no virologist, epidemiologist or just a notorious swaggerer, check out this work. Make these 36 minutes a well-invested lifetime.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 22, 2019.

Every now and then it is time to review some songs of Graveland. Here I ask for your attention for Creed of Iron, a strong title - inspired by an eponymous book - for a metal album and this is exactly what this full-length offer: metal. What I want to say is that Graveland do not focus on a specific form of our preferred music. It's no black metal and it is although no (typical) Viking metal, because stupid choirs of drunken men and campfire romanticism are missing. Even better, any form of commercially interesting details also does not pop up. Rob Darken focuses on his own, pretty idiosyncratic type of metal which is tough, majestic and powerful. Sometimes the material could be classified as "Ancient Rome Metal", because the omnipresent archaic touch meets triumphant glory. But who am I to invent new sub genres?

Although the songs flow more or less constantly slowly, they have the necessary drive. Exciting parts like the long instrumental section at the beginning of "Ancient Blood" demonstrate this impressively. This section also shows that the material does not lack fantastic melodies that never bow down to the mainstream. The melodic lines are very painstakingly chosen and fit the combative, heroic and antique concept perfectly. By the way, it is the same concept that already shaped later outputs such as Memory and Destiny and it is also not too far away from the basic idea of Immortal Pride. But this form of self-quotation doesn't matter. Even though the music appears comparatively formulaic, it spreads fascinating and irresistible vibes. Just dive into the large-sized intro which seems to herald victory after a battle with heavy losses.

Of course, Creed of Iron does not house the most adventurous music. Darken loves to celebrate his mostly effective leads and he hates any kind of hustle and bustle, but he keeps an eye on a certain number of breaks and tempo changes (from slow to slower and back) as well. He has created intensive and coherent hymns that deliver the perfect soundtrack to close your eyes and travel back in time. The ironclad sound transports the listener directly on a medieval battlefield. I am happy that I was not born in the Middle Ages, because heavy metal had not yet been invented. Nevertheless, if I can combine both, I like to experience the Darwinian component of these rough times and the compositions of the Polish lone wolf expresses this element very well.

Darken, his lyrics and his liner notes have one thing in common. They are politically dubious. But I don't intend to play the moralizer. Ideology is one thing, good music is something different and I have no doubt that Creed of Iron is filled to the brim with robust, resilient and martial songs. By the way, these songs do not only come into its own due to the vigorous guitars. The intelligent and well measured use of the synthesizers constitutes an important factor for the formidable overall impression, too. Not to mention the uniform yet raw and expressive vocals. Putting all these features together, there can be no doubt that this Creed of Iron knows no fickleness, no disloyalty and no despondency. Instead, it rams its decorated spear into the ground and makes clear: this music is from heroes for heroes (and in exceptional cases for non-heroic dudes like me).

Rating: 8.2 out of 10