Hranind gurile infometate

Grohot
From the very first notes, you know pretty much exactly what to expect here. We begin this split with old-school mid-paced raw black metal, very inspired by Darkthrone’s 'Transylvanian Hunger' and Mayhem’s 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.'

Grohot starts simpler and repetitive, primitive to begin with, moving to a bit more sonic complexity by their 3rd and final song. The bass is more distinct than many raw black metal bands, which is a plus. Riffs are a classic mix of dissonant and minor diads, sometimes thicker chords, with piercing melodies occasionally floating above. Vocals are earnest and impassioned for this style, fast and staccato, and augment the atmosphere nicely. Drums are played well enough to serve this style of black metal, but are a bit too forward in the mix for my taste. It doesn’t detract from the rawness of the production, and in a sense it does serve to obscure the guitars to craft a particular sound.

The combination of all these elements works squarely within the expectations of this kind of raw black metal. Not fully repetitive to the point of being hypnotic or trance-like, not peppered with flourishes or subtleties that are hallmarks of the greatest albums in the genre. Just straightforward: raw black metal. I wouldn’t call this fully boring, but I wasn’t enticed to listen again. Overall this side of the split is a decent homage to the greats. It’s also not saying anything someone who seeks out raw black metal hasn’t heard many times before.

Faunul din Smidă
In stark contrast to the first side of the split, this is raw black metal that’s reaching outward to explore newer aural territory.

Guitars are often voiced in a lower-octave for the type of raw black metal riffage being crafted, a bit like early Silencer minus their signature shrieking. Some riffs are almost atonal or multi-modal, which is unique for this style of raw black metal and doesn’t give off a “pure established evil” sound we’ve come to expect from the idiom. Some may find this off-putting, others may enjoy it. More traditionally dark-sounding melodic soaring and complex riffs rise out of the static of dissonant and minor diads, all propelled by more varied drumming, and even some varied and atmospheric production. Infrequent bizarre keyboard elements peek out in parts that manage to work well even within the intensely raw production. The vocal performance here serves the music and atmosphere well, and is quite evocative.

The combination of these elements creates a musical output that calls to mind early Gorgoroth or early Satyricon. Yet the songwriting itself is more disjointed and chaotic, sometimes reminiscent of Katharsis.

One very odd production note: there’s a flanger effect not on any other song that soaks the entirety of the song “Musc din carnea lui Iblis.” I’m not sure it fully works, but it is unique and does create an odd mood.

Faunul din Smidă’s side is the stronger of this split. Overall, while it has some sections I’d call boring, mostly this holds my attention. It can be captivating at times. if you aren’t put off by the rawness of the sound and production, this is worth a listen or two.