The Echoes of Tales Once Told

Old Corpse Road's debut release is something quite special. They have provided three tracks all of which produce a convincing atmosphere and have a sense of integrity. The band write a lot about British folklore and all the tracks will pull you into this world.

The first track begins with a haunting piece of keyboard work punctuated by heavy guitars, this may seem like a slightly awkward take off at first, but I think it works well - the track is well constructed, I couldn't help but feel as if I was being carried along the Old Corpse Road which the song speaks of by the howling night winds which are conveyed throughout. The lyrics are awesome and have the poetic feel that many black metal bands try and fail to achieve.

The second song is spooky. Seriously, this is eerie as fuck - again, it's an effect that many black metal bands have failed to achieve. The spoken word is fantastic and weaves in perfectly with the more traditional black metal vocals. The song is well constructed, transferring effortlessly between clean and distorted sections. Brilliant!

The third and final track is probably the best. I find it hard to explain just how effective this song is. It's called 'The Oakmen of Naddle Forest'. Around 4 minutes into the song the mood changes and what follows is a long build up last several minutes. Just listen to it, it's one of the most enthralling pieces of music I've ever heard and leads to some wonderful clean vocals, shared by the whole band. The band's style isn't necessarily about creating soundscapes, more often that not it's a mixture of clever guitar work with keyboards creating a thick background, but in this passage they explore stylistically.

This is a great debut and from a band that gives me hope for the British black metal scene, support them!