Skelepht

Last October I spent a few hours digging around Spotify in an attempt to make a terror-inducing playlist in time for Halloween. It opened my ears to bands I never previously paid much attention to and I realized there’s no shortage of horrifying acts out there. From the chaotic insanity of Anaal Nathrakh to the chilling soundscapes of Gnaw Their Tongues and Nortt, metal of the nightmarish variety is definitely out there, but understandably not incredibly popular. The playlist ended up being great background music for a creepy party, but I found it difficult to sit down with.

But after a while the horror almost became comedic, as I realized the bands are trying their damndest to earn that “scary” label and most likely take themselves much too seriously. I turned away from this undefined genre I invented for myself and never felt the need to listen to most of those artists again. But when Dråpsnatt released their newest album, I realized that the feeling of terror is most overwhelming when it’s subtle. And unexpected.

It took me a while to listen to this album the whole way through. I just couldn’t do it. The vocals creeped me out so much that I needed to be be in a very specific mood to be able to listen all the way too. Now, as a schmuck who listens to his fair share of demon-worshipping music, I rarely get the tinglies from something as now every day to me as a black metal record. But something about Vinterfader’s shriek just grasps you in unnatural ways. It’s the tormented howl of a mental patient, cursing the world with his final breath as he drowns in agony. Although not vastly different than his voice on previous records, its forward production and fantastic use of effects is what makes it really stand out this time around.The voice is a sharp, gut-wrenching pain in your torso; it’s grabbed your spine through your stomach and just refuses to let go.

The fact that it’s combined with such beautiful, almost orchestral music is what gives it that extra steeping of fear. It’s a dark figure in a bright room, sucking out all the light. Once I overcame my apprehension and unexplainable sense of dread Skelepht gave to me, I discovered one of the most varied and satisfying records of the year. After you get used to the feel of the album, each song becomes more gripping and interesting than the last. The second half ascends into a slightly more melodic territory, as the band takes a more 2nd wave approach and uses more traditional black metal riffing in cohesion with Dråpsnatt’s focused wanderings. “Forruttnelsens Hypostaser” is a near-masterpiece of a song that has elements of Emperor, Arcturus and Lantlôs sprinkled throughout. By the time the album is over, the clouds part and the fear subsides. And I realize what I was most afraid of was Skelepht horrible beauty.

Andy O)))
http://alchemistscave.wordpress.com/

The duo released two full-length records before and both of them were considered quite good. Although I didn’t really heard much of them, I dare to say that they follow their style, while constantly getting better at playing and composing. Even the production is way better than before, as it is quite clear and somewhat warm. The focus lay on the vocals as they are outstanding while the drums are relatively subtle (but you still can clearly hear them).

The record is quite multi-layered in terms of music as it ranges from quite heavy, slow and nearly depressive moments to some quite happy moments that could remind me of Istapp. The music reminds me quite often of the aforementioned Istapp but the music of Dråpsnatt is a bit colder. The record starts quite threatening with a combination of some droning synthesizer melodies and some higher, somewhat shriek ones, which soon transform into a “real” melody while the guitars are replacing the droning stuff with some rhythm. The compositions are, especially when compared to the aforementioned Istapp again, quite compact but not overfilled.

The tracks are mostly held in midtempo and quite rhythmic and melodic instead of fast and furious, although there are some passages that feature this “normal” black metal sound. The thick constructs, formed through the layers of guitar sound and the drums, are often accompanied by really atmospheric synthesizer sounds, which are able to enhance the created atmosphere quite a bit. They never become cheesy and could be compared to bands like Mistur, which are known for getting the right balance. There is a steady interplay between the guitars and the keyboard as they are battling on who is giving the tone (e.g. the melody). The vocals are full of effect and sound quite mad and woeful. Similiar to the interplay between the guitars and the keyboard the vocals are pending between extremes: There are some quite deep, low pitched and slow (nearly spoken) passages, the quite mad screams and sometimes even catchy clearly sung passages.

The drums should be praised at least as much as the vocals, guitars and synthies, as they are often playing some innovative beats instead of the five standard beats that are out there (although they are, of course, here as well). Nearly everything on this record has to be praised, as it’s done so well. The orchestration and vocalisation was professionally done and the songwriting is really good. The changes in tempo and dynamics are done fluently and naturally so they aren’t forced. The only real flaw might be, that the bands own sound can be a bit similiar from song to song, but that isn’t too bad.

Conclusion:

I’ve got the feeling, that it was a bit mistake not to listen to records of Dråpsnatt before as Skelepht is everything I want from melodic black metal. The tracks are really well played and composed as they are quite multi-layered e.g. varied. I really have to compare them to a colder version of Istapp, as everything is somewhat similiar, but better done. Fans of the aforementioned band, or anyone who likes melodic and atmospheric black metal, should buy this record as you can’t do anything wrong!
____________________
Written for http://threnodies.com

Decidedly, Frostcald Records crew was quite busy last spring! This Russian small label specialized in very cold metal recently launched in quick succession three excellent albums. I recently reviewed lasts records of both Nordvrede and Domgård, but I focus today on the Swedish Dråpsnatt’s third album entitled Skelepht (2012). It is nevertheless a fairly abrupt change of musical register, as this duo from the very northern town of Skellefteå offers us a much more melodic music than their label colleagues.

The universe deployed by Narstrand and Vinterfader borrows many elements that were gradually established since 1990 by Sverd and Hellhammer from Arcturus. Right from the start, Meningslösheten illustrates this characteristic amalgam between the vaporous atmosphere generated by keyboards and aggressive but melodic black metal, with a deliciously shrilled voice. This is particularly evident on the title track, which could appear on Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996)! Dråpsnatt’s range of influences widens however with Tonerna Till Vårt Slut, reminiscent of some early Enslaved records and its soaring epic melodies, while the lovely acoustic Echec refers to the early albums of Dimmu Borgir. But beyond these aesthetic similarities, a fact remains. The group knows how to make the best of all references that underlie their own work, and manages to forge an identity that sweat on its compositions. The songs offered on this album are fun, diverse and go beyond the usual clichés and excesses of melodic black metal. They combine perfectly smooth and aggressive aspects, especially on tracks like Förruttnelsens Hypostaser and Valan, who maintain at all times the listener’s interest along very catchy pathways. Concluding the album, Intigheten however reminds us what Dråpsnatt favorite band is, resemblances with Arcturus being here completely assumed.

Skelepht is a beautiful album that provides great auditory sensations. I was even surprised to listen to it just before going to bed, like I used to do with The Infernal Masquerade (1997) and The Sham Mirrors (2002), probably not a coincidence. This is an excellent choice for anyone who loves high-quality melodic black metal, performed by musicians in full control of their art. 8/10

Originally written for Métal Obscur