Eradication of the Humankind

What do you search for in black metal? Sophistication? Artistry in construction and instrumentation? A greater existential meaning? Or do you simply look for brutality, an attack on any and all normal human values? Dørkun is an artist firmly planted in the latter category, representing nothing more than an absolute refusal to compromise in the face of complacency.

Everything about the 'Eradicate The Humankind' demo oozes intensity. From the constant rivers of black tremolo picking to the delightfully sardonic lyrics ('Why are you screaming/Are you afraid of death?' always gets a grin out of me for some reason), this is music to terrorize your neighbors with. I have no doubt at all that playing this in a forest would cause small, furry woodland animals to explode. This is ultra-pure black metal, classic yet undeniably refined and cool in delivery. The music isn't frantic; more deliberate and laid-back with its extremity.

Instrumentation is all pretty standard: quick guitars, Abbathy croak-vocals, and some surprisingly versatile drum programming, certainly a cut above the majority of black metal artists who use one. But the lack of perceived 'originality' doesn't make the music less worthwhile. Yes, it's a heralding of tradition, but it's an incredibly well done herald of tradition that would make many of the Norwegian originals proud. It's clearly the product of a lot of time and care when it came to the writing process; each riff is significant and pointed. No filler at all.

Most of all this demo is pleasing to listen to. Not in the sense of production (though it's quite clean, all things considered), but simply in songwriting. Dørkun is just trying to make good music with 'Eradication Of The Humankind' and they succeed handily in this manner, and I'd sure as hell put this in my CD player before a large number of the other releases I own.

There's no reason not to give this a release a go. It's four tracks of intense, pure, quality black metal, and it's better than most of the stuff out now. Stop buying Leviathan vinyl and pick this up.