One of the Blackest Black Metal Albums Ever Record – 100%
raynorkap, January 27th, 2017
Wow.
hen it comes to the “blackest” black metal bands let me just say that Leviathan has to be one of the most overlooked bands in all of its history. This band has amazed me since hearing about them. It just blows my mind that someone can write something filled with so much melancholy and hate. Wrest (aka Jef Whitehead) has a great understanding of black metal and how it should sound. Each track is as dark and dreary as the next with a heavy focus on atmosphere. Leviathan is not only one of the greatest black metal bands in North America, Leviathan is quite simply, one of the greatest black metal bands of all time.
To understand where Wrest is coming from with his approach towards black metal, you have to understand where hes comes from as a person. Growing up having abusive parents, Wrest was put in group homes as a teenager and was getting kicked out of every home when he was put into. Eventually he was homeless and living with friends. Dealing with depression and suicide attempts, he was able to find an outlet for his pain through Leviathan. Giving us some of the most personal and depressing black metal ever recorded. As Wrest has stated about this album,
“All the lyrics, for the exception of [track] two, are about suicide, in one form or another”
You end up getting a feeling of blackness from this album like you’re stuck in a void and the only way out is suicide. Its all very atmospheric, nihilistic, and personal. The only other band I get the same feeling from is Shining from Sweden. Both bands are very personal with their lyrics and appeal. But I think Leviathan takes the cake in terms of atmosphere and execution.
The instruments on this album are all very well done, Everything was executed with care and thought. Wrest really wanted this album to stick out from a barrage of black metal albums that were already released at the time. It all sounds very angry and chaotic like angry ghost fighting among themselves. Its original in terms of execution and takes notes from the Norwegian black metal forefathers of yore. If there’s one band I could say that its reminiscent too it would be Darkthrone. Specifically the album, “Transilvanian Hunger”. From the aggressive drums, to the clashing of the guitars, It all seems very familiar but original. But I think the moments that really stick out are on the slower songs like “The Idiot Sun” and “The Bitter Emblem of Dissolve”. The slower tempo leaves more room for the atmosphere to settle in and for you to succumb to it. Another thing about the album that sticks out is the use of the bass. The bass has some great moments in this album which isn’t too common for it to stick black metal and while it isn’t a full on bass fest, it definitely has its moments. Specifically in the songs “Sardoniscorn” and “The Idiot Sun”. There are parts where there emphasis on the bass and it done correctly. I would also like to touch on is keyboards. Keyboards are used in this album to create a drone-like ambiance that encompasses the elements of dark ambient and mixes it in with the aggressive black metal present on the album. There’s a track on this album that is solely a dark ambient interlude by the name of “Submersed” That acts as an “intermission” for the mid point of the album. The last thing I will touch upon is the vocals. They are what ties the album together and gives it the darkness it emits. From the first time you hear them in “Fucking Your Ghost in Chains of Ice” to the 10th and final track, the vocals I would have to say are my favorite part of this album. There just something about the that embraces a cold-chilling loneliness to them. They sound so angry and so tormented it actually reminds me of Varg Vikernes from Burzum and how he would do his vocals for his black metal albums. Overall, the instruments are all solid and the composition of songs are flawless.
Overall, this album is a MUST have for anyone that’s a fan of more darker black metal. The composition and the execution alone make this album worth owning. But there’s so much more to is as well. It takes everything about black metal and reinvents it into a new demon. Wrest is one of the most brilliant minds in black metal and has produced some very quality material albums over the years. But to me, this album remains the strongest effort hes ever released.
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