Zeroes

Blliigghhtted is an experimental black metal/dark ambient act from Turkey. Formed in 2014, the band was created by Ruhanathanas, who performs vocals and synths as well as lyrics and conduction. Blliigghhtted is rounded out by Merdümgiriz on drums, vocals and synths and Emir Toğrul (Yayla, Viranesir) on vocals, guitars, bass and synths. The band released their debut demo, Which of You Have Done This?, in September of 2014 and at the end of March 2015, they dropped their first full length album, Zeroes.

At first glance, Blliigghhtted seems to have quite a strange name, but according to members it is an amalgamation of “blighted” and “light”, bringing to mind themes of duality. It’s with this theme of duality that Zeroes lies; unsettling yet cathartic and heavy yet flippant. While the band’s demo focused on unsettling atmospheres and ritual ambiance juxtaposed against sparse bursts of depraved black metal, the band’s full length seems to reign in the ambient wandering in favor of oppressive and chaotic black metal. Featuring two twenty-one minute plus tracks, Zeroes is anything but an easy listen, yet the band’s free flowing, stream of consciousness style of song writing is engaging despite requiring a dedicated focus to follow.

Like mentioned, Zeroes is certainly a heavier monster than the band’s previous outing, but it certainly doesn’t lack in the realm of experimentation. Although the album starts off with what sounds like rather typical black metal on “Purge Me Satan” with raw and jagged trem patterns, the experimental nature of the band quickly takes form. Ambient wandering clashes with low yet charging percussion and runs headfirst into segments of slowed down, melodic dreariness. A myriad of groaning and raspy vocal patterns emerge throughout, all muddy and dissonant, effectively bridging the gap between the raucous black metal and the somewhat ethereal ambiance. “Seven Zeroes” strikes out in similar fashion, placing jarring black metal next to ethereal passages and dark ambient soundscapes, going so far as fading into a ritualistic piece with groans and chants for close to nine minutes before crawling back towards cyclical trem patterns and blasting drums. A myriad of groaning and raspy vocal patterns emerge throughout, all muddy and dissonant, effectively bridging the gap between the raucous black metal and the somewhat ethereal ambiance.

While Blliigghhtted demo release did show promise, it seemed that band’s abject wandering and free flowing style lacked focus, resulting in a rather difficult to digest piece of music. Zeroes continues the band’s trend of difficult listens, but Zeroes succeeds in having multiple layers that continue to reveal new textures and sounds throughout repeated listens. From jarring, blasting black metal juxtaposed with ritual ambiance to ethereal and melodic passages of doomy wandering, Blliigghhtted has surely shown the ability to focus and create a solid tapestry of sounds despite the length of the tracks. Zeroes may not be as unsettling as Which of You Have Done This?, but it is a much stronger and more rewarding listen.

Written for The Metal Observer.