Arrayed Claws

With the battering of music coming in, it’s hard to stand out from the pack. Not only that, it’s also difficult to maintain interest. 2017 was a strong year for metal, personally, and due to the year’s strength from a myriad of bands, Lorn’s Arrayed Claws almost fell by the wayside. I got the album, thought it was cool, and then discarded it because there was just so much to digest. What a fool I was for almost missing one of the best albums coming from a great year. Once I picked it up again, I realised what I was missing and this beast of an album has been in constant rotation ever since.

There’s a lot to like from this, despite only boasting five tracks and being a full 20 minutes plus change shorter than its predecessor Subconscious Metamorphosis. One of the things I really enjoy from this album, which may be surprising, is the repetition. Sections of music repeat again and again more than they are “logically” supposed to. It’s amazing because not only are the riffs just divine, but they put me in a sort of bizarrely tranquil state – a hypnotising stance where I can just let the music wash over me and I can focus solely on it without any external stimuli. The best examples of this are the second half of “Disharmonic Feticism” and especially the ending to “Abstract Trap” where the music lulls you into serenity despite how abrasive the music actually is. On the flip-side, “Aus Nebel Turm” has a repeated motif throughout its runtime and is totally devoid of black metal, making this one actually tranquil to listen to, and it works effectively as a song, and as the album closer. These repeated sections are the backbone of why this album works so well.

Of course, writing music and playing it are two different beasts. Luckily, what’s on offer here is really high quality. The black metal riffs used here sound atonal but they pack a righteous punch. Each riff is crafted for maximum effectiveness where they’re used. Even the straighter black metal riffs, such as in “Toybodim,” give each song some vigour and momentum that push the song forward and are excellent precursors to the main repetition later, particularly for the first two tracks. The drumming is also fantastic, with plenty of talents on show. The main highlight for me is the off-beat blasting to end “Abstract Trap,” just for the sheer power and agility. In a way it reminds me of Mayhem’s “Buried by Time and Dust” to encapsulate how jaw-dropping the drumming is. Not all is speed, though, as “Aus Nebel Turm” show a lighter side to his playing, using simpler rock beats to sync with the lighter guitar riffing.

This music is allowed to shine, too, as the vocals are not permeating every nook and cranny of this thing. Sparcity of vocals is highlighted by the two ending tracks being instrumentals, but also the other three tracks showing restraint and letting the music breathe naturally. This is important for the success of Arrayed Claws because the music is definitely strong enough individually to carry each track, even when the riffs are repeated many times. Despite this, the vocals are actually a great fit for the album – a raspy shriek that isn’t unusual or unique for the style, but are integrated with the music perfectly.

When all is said and done, it’s really the riffs that people are paying the admission fee for. Arrayed Claws is a more than worthy successor to Subconscious Metamorphosis, which was already pretty good in its own right, and shows the maturity of the band as they embark on new black horizons. This album is a real trip from start to finish and anyone with any interest in black metal is urged to check it out.