Dolorvotre

Black metal seems to be growing. The once exclusively Norwegian scene has flourished into a multifaceted monstrosity that runs on the blood of the weak and pious. One such example is Dolorvotre. If 24 years ago you would of said to Varg or Dead that black metal would be played by two guys from Los Angeles, they would have either laughed at you or done something far more violent. But here we are, in the grand dimension known as 2012, and anybody with a computer and a guitar can play something close to or even not close to black metal. Again, this is a good synopsis of Dolorvotre. Ability wise I'm not saying this album is terrible, but it sounds incredibly unbearable in some parts. From a music perspective, this is most likely a heinous assault on all that is theory. But remember, black metal is not meant to be pretty.

For starters, the production is horrific. Clearly, this was purposely done. The vocals sound like they are coming from another stereo, and the guitars fade in and out depending on the sound of the riff. Is this bad? Yes and no. Raw black metal is awesome, if done right. This just doesn't seem to be done very right. However, for what it's worth, this album is an obvious mixture of 90's Darkthrone and a sprinkle of Mayhem for good measure. The drumming just blasts away, with the exception of a few doom like parts where the ambience is used and what not. The guitars sound....kvlt. Like I said, it seems any dude with a guitar and a computer can suddenly become Fenriz, making unholy black metal in his cozy bedroom. Am I insinuating that Dolorvotre are a bunch of posers? No. Not at all. These guys know black metal, and how to make it sound. Only problem is that along the way, they left out any real originality and any real interesting bits, other than on "Worship Black Twilight" which is weirdly similar to a freaky jazz polka tune. Overall, it's just a bleak, and rather exhaustive listen. Black metal, while not meant to be cute or funny, doesn't need to be bland and redundant. Not at all.

In all, if you enjoy raw black metal, which I should reiterate I do enjoy quite a bit, you will somewhat enjoy this album. There is no point to go out of your way to purchase it. From what I understand Dolorvotre are part of some group of black metal bands that come from the L.A. region. If this is what they can do on their first album, I am willing to chalk this up to being just too influenced by others to create something truly personal, and hopefully can make some serious noise in the USBM scene. I feel Dolorvotre have a promising underground career, just if they can make something remotely interesting. Better luck next times, friends.