Legacy

Hakuja's only known release "Legacy" demonstrates there's plenty of life still kicking in old-school black metal, especially when spiced up with the crazy deranged edge that Japanese bands have perfected over decades in other realms of music. Fizzy chainsaw-lite guitar noise backed by frantic drums and doleful piano melodies goes full tilt while screechy hysterical vocals rage without end overhead. The sound is crisp and very clear which allows you to hear nearly everything as it races all over the shop in a mad search for the exit.

The album tosses you into the far extreme of speedy BM with opening track "Dropped on Inferna" to see if you can handle the pace and pressure. Those who last all the way through will find the recording lightens up gradually to more manageable speeds. The songs are revealed to be quite complex in their riffing and melodic structures: note the rhythm and bass guitars agreeing to travel different and parallel melodic paths on "Baal" and meet up at the end; something similar applies in later tracks like "Kanata", though not so prominently. At times the bass guitar even takes over the lead role ("Dew of Blood" being a good example). Moods of distinctly melancholy hues are created almost as an after-thought on most songs, thanks in part to the addition of keyboard tones and effects, tuned in minor keys, in a sparse way.

The drums may be of the programmed kind but they are used to good effect, adding emphasis, leading the other instruments at critical points in a number of songs, and occasionally breaking the tension; perhaps they could have had a more solid kick to them (they do sound papery-thin at times) but this is mainly a minor quibble.

Of the tracks themselves, the last two, "Dew of Blood" and "Rasen", show surprising feeling akin to intense emotion and even bleakness in parts. These are the most developed of the lot with ever-evolving melody and mood. Earlier tracks on the album distinguish themselves by their frenzied energy; listening to these pieces, you get a sense of the melodies and the tones playing them trapped in an unending maze trying to find a way out and always failing – this adds a real sense of desperation bordering on insanity to the album.

Since this recording came out in 2007, there's been no further official output from Hakuja so this album stands as his sole testament. It repays repeated hearings with quite intricate arrangements and range of moods for what is supposedly a straightforward BM recording.