Soulburn – Noa’s D’Ark
Release Date: 13th November 2020
Label: Century Media Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Doom.
FFO: Behemoth, Watain, Dissection.
Review By: Ken Love
It feels only appropriate that Soulburn should release their latest record on Friday the 13th. Any band built on blasphemous and nihilistic foundations should enforce their credentials by doing this when the opportunity presents itself; kudos to them for that. My tongue is in my cheek here and I’m very much being facetious however I do find it amusing whether intentional or not. The music here is, however, no joke. It’s ferocious, furious and searing black metal that finds an unholy middle ground between Watain’s wiry punk aesthetic and Behemoth’s monolithic crushing death vibes. As far as extreme metal goes, that’s pretty esteemed company to be held in.
The first thing that hits you, straight out the gates, is the overwhelming notion that Soulburn do not give a fuck. The album opens with its longest track, the epic ‘The Morgue of Hope’, which is a +7 minute epic that sets the tone for the album well, starting with moody & dramatic isolated guitars which coalesce into a slow doom-laden durge before turning the key in the ignition and breaking into a frenetic blackened metal blitzkrieg. It’s this use of dynamics, soundscapes, dramatic turns of pace and sonic peaks & troughs – replicated across the record – that ensures your attention is maintained throughout its’ 48 minute duration.
The title track is a mid-paced banger that bounces along with a swagger that belies typical black metal convention and is a joy to listen to before exploding again like a nuclear bomb. It’s worth also noting vocalist Twan Van Geel has a gloriously twisted snarl that at points channels Erik Daniellson, Tom G Warrior and even Max Cavalera but, crucially, there is clarity in his delivery that makes it accessible while he employs various vocal approaches across the record further colouring the compositions, albeit colouring them different shades of grey.
It’s difficult to pick highlights here as the whole record whizzes along with such a keen sense of dynamics & purpose that it’s here and gone in a flash. Highlights include ‘Tempter ov the White Light’ & ‘Ánarchrist’ that both have moments where the snare drum is so far up front, when the songs pick up maximum pace, that it physically rattles the stocks of your eyes. In a good way.
This isn’t going to be for everyone, however if you enjoy metal of the more extreme volition, this album of misanthropic anthems will whet your whistle and then some.
(4 / 5)
