Originally formed in 2004, Melkor is, in fact, a solo project created by Patrick Castronovo after his previous project fell to pieces. Thus far Patrick has released a demo (‘call of the enchained’ – 2004) and a full-length album (‘Ferne’ – 2009), both releases receiving much acclaim. However, ‘Irrlicht’ is the first release to come our way and it is an impressive piece of work and a worthy addition to any black metal fan’s collection.
Featuring eight tracks and clocking in at some sixty-odd minutes, ‘Irrlicht’ is not an easy or an immediate album. Rooted in the dark, icy black metal of early Behemoth, Burzum and emperor, there is a regal sense of grandeur that hangs heavy over the project and whilst the guitars are as feral as you might expect, there is also an iron discipline that keeps the music carefully in check. The album opens with the elegant, brutal ‘Spiegelwand’ which features typically blistering guitar and guttural vocals and yet still manages to carve out its own atmosphere. Interestingly it’s not all grinding riffs and vocals torn from the bowels of hell. ‘Die Welle Erneuert sich’ utilises tropes from both post-rock and traditional heavy metal in its extended introduction and with a rich tapestry of synth lines and strings providing melody over the rampaging guitars, Patrick once again conjures up unbidden images of a long forgotten world where humans roamed the vast and unforgiving landscape of a pre-technology society. There’s a fierce intelligence at work here and Patrick’s soundscapes will certainly enthral those who have flocked to the banner of Old Corpse Road and Winterfylleth, both of whom operate in a similar sphere. For all the violence of the music, the overall impact is one of an almost lyrical romanticism, the music epic and evocative rather than repulsive, and Patrick’s work, like those aforementioned acts, stands as a window to a long-lost world that still calls to those sickened by the vicissitudes of modern life. However, the title track opts to move away from such grandiosity and immediately plunges the listener into a swirling cauldron of hatred. The effect is much like leaping into a pool of icy water and the music attacks the listener furiously with evilly intertwined guitars and carefully understated symphonic elements. A truly monstrous piece of work, ‘Pangaea’ captures the feel of Satyricon with martial drums and atypical rhythms propelling the song ever deeper into the black abyss. Guitars wail amidst the maelstrom and the vocals are delivered with a level of scorn and contempt that is palpable.
Turning abruptly from the frozen tundra, the intro to ‘In den welkenden waldern’ features acoustic guitars, drenched in reverb before huge swathes of guitar arrive in a neo-classical display that is grandly imperious in its delivery. With the vocals delivered amidst a barrage of delay and augmented by anuneen choir of the damned, the effect is at once astonishing and intimidating. After such a track, ‘Des berges schweigen’ should struggle, but rather than try to compete Patrick sensibly opts to deliver a thunderous piece of music that is mired in dirty production fuzz and which recalls the searing evil of the early Darkthrone demos. ‘Opferlamm’ has a lighter touch, although it’s no less clad in blackened clothing, and the guitars emerge from the dense production, all treble and searing distortion. The album closes with the epic ‘the great defender’, one last glancing blow against the corrupt social order delivered with equal measures of dark passion and venom. The guitars here swirl in a violent wind tunnel, the melody hinted at amidst the harrowing noise, and the album draws to a conclusion leaving behind a touch of frost and a sense of the darkness lifting as the music fades into memory.
Melkor produce epic, dense black metal that offers nods to the genre greats. References to Emperor, Satyricon, Burzum and Darkthrone all abound and the production job is suitably gritty whilst allowing enough of the music to penetrate its barrier of noise so as to remain memorable. The artwork also deserves special mention as this is an album where obvious care and attention has been put into the detailed and intriguing packaging. This is extreme, challenging music that will undoubtedly be for a select few, but for those who like their black metal to be mired in the densest distortion and delivered with a blistering contempt, Melkor come highly recommended.
