Keys to the Astral Gates and Mystic Doors II

Carving out their own niche of harsh raw BM with punk, post-metal and depressive BM elements are Pit Dweller and Ludwig the Bloodsucker with their project Keys to the Astral Gates and Mystic Doors and its second self-titled demo. This demo starts off with a creepy arpeggio ambient piece of quivery keyboard melody set in a cold dark cavern. From that forbidding introduction, "That Which Dwells Within" is a rough grinding blackened punk song with a surprisingly warm noise drone backing, all topped by a harsh throaty, howling vocal. The riffs are almost monumental in sound, but the raw production keeps them down to a size that suits the small demo. The song becomes quite emotional in its vocals and melodies in its last couple of minutes before being cut off abruptly. "Vampyric Comet" boasts equally distinct riffs and together both songs have an upbeat and busy mood.

A sudden surprise comes with the last two tracks, starting with "Snowbringer's Spell", a very haunting instrumental piece of droning guitar joined by other layers of other droning noise and a developing atmosphere of intimidating cold bristling drone wash. Closing out the album is "What is the Glimmer 'Top the Looming Glass Bell", an intensely melancholy depressive track with slashing riffs and vocals filled with anguish and agony. Together these two tracks turn the second half of KttAGaMD's demo into a deeply emotional work of frigid atmosphere and aggression that may mask inner pain and turmoil.

Short it may be but this demo may be unusual in combining very harsh raw BM and elements borrowed from hardcore, emo, post-metal and ambient. The abrasive raw BM approach now stands for vulnerability and a sensitivity to the slights and pressures of living in post-industrial society with a declining quality of life. The two musicians behind KttAGAaMD have a talent for finding and playing melodies of deeply felt emotion, and I would be very keen to hear future work from this duo.