Haunting the December Chords

Gorath was a project that existed in one form or another between 1996 and 2013. Apparently, the band recorded a demo in 1996, but never released it, waiting instead until 2003 to release a four track demo, Haunting the December Chords. It seems like typical black metal kvlt kiddie nonsense, except for the fact that the demo, and the rest of Gorath's career, is really fucking good.

Spearheaded by former Ill Fares the Land member Filip Dupont (if you haven't heard Ill Fares the Land, get on it, one of the best melodic death metal acts ever), Gorath slowly turned into an actual band, but Haunting the December Chords was one of those moments where it was a solo project. The drum programming is a little absurd during the few slow moments, sounding extremely forced, but when the music speeds up the blasts come out and it sounds fine if overly mechanical. The guitars and bass are stellar, with razor sharp tremolo riffing in inventive and catchy patterns of the entirety of the album. The bass shines through in a few moments, sounding almost jazzy in its exuberance, despite keeping with the tempo. Dupont's vocals are rabid and depraved, mostly consisting of a forceful growl with a few higher end shrieks.

The songwriting offers a steady flow of hard hitting riffs and cold, acerbic second wave infused black metal, with a few strange, alien movements thrown around. While Gorath would continue to improve over the years, unleashing six great full length albums, Haunting the December Chords will always hold a special place in my library. It's slightly off the wall, but it stays true to form. This seems to be one of those forgotten and overlooked gems hidden in the black metal scene. If you haven't heard Gorath before, this demo is a fine place to start, and if you have, what better time than now to revisit this obscure jewel.