Mientras las nubes ciegan la luna...

Oscuro Mito reminds me of one of the greatest unsung potential in folk-related metal. While it's unsurprising that most bands of that ilk would draw upon Celtic and Scandinavian traditions, the cultural heritage of North-Western Europe has been plundered by would-be metal 'Vikings' and pagan-themed hedonists. For a genre that, ideally, merges two of my favourite types of music together, I've had a frustrating time finding interesting prospects. Oh, how the game changes when the folk influence shifts cultures. There's been a strong wave of folk metal from the far east (see: the likes of Tengger Cavalry and Cthonic), and even a band as relatively close to the Nordic hub as Negură Bunget has established an entirely different brood of folk metal, thereby drawing upon their own Romanian roots.

Why, then, should it be so surprising that the New World would have its own folk styles, ripe for integration with metal? I think Oscuro Mito still have a few steps ahead of them before making their blend of Bolivian folk and extreme metal really work, but the potential behind this uncommon fusion would alone make Mientras las Nubes Ciegan la Luna... worth checking out.

Oscuro Mito have been around, to some extent, since 2008. The recently released Mientras las Nubes Ciegan la Luna... is their first demo, loaded with only three tracks, falling just under the fifteen minute mark. While that's not a lot to draw any conclusions with, Oscuro Mito cover a fair range of possibilities here. Although Oscuro Mito are labelled primarily as black metal (and rightly so), I think that tag only works if it's approached as a stylistic hub for the band, a style each of their individual parts might bear association with. While Fernando Caballero's aggressive vocals fit black metal expectations well enough, Oscuro Mito's instrumentation has much in common with traditional heavy metal riffing, although the grizzly production keeps the music from ever sounding like a true crossover. Although I'd reckon the songwriters in OM have spent just as much time listening to the metal classics as they have black metal, the second track "Danza en Trance" makes their influences clearer. The deep, boomy chanting on that song is vaguely reminiscent of something Bathory would do, circa Hammerheart. For a band whose greatest asset is that they've embraced their own culture, it's certainly intriguing that Oscuro Mito would nonetheless draw upon a titan of Viking metal. I'm not complaining, either; the approximation of Bathory's mid-era glory isn't perfect, but "Danza en Trance" actually sounds better written and realized than the demo's two less derivative tracks.

I don't believe Oscuro Mito have totally figured out what they want to do on their metal end. On the surface it looks as if they want to be a black metal band, but their hearts are largely set on trad-heavy riffs. Whatever direction they decide to take with their music will benefit from their grasp of folk. Armin Villca plays a host of 'native instruments' on the demo, and it sounds beautifully realized. Between eerie flute soundscapes and the odd undertones beneath the central riff on "Luz Naciente", Oscuro Mito bring their folk influence to life in subtle, but stirring fashion. The lyrics take things a step further-- exploring Bolivian folklore and heritage. Although OM's metal melange is still mired appropriately in the 'demo stages', they've got a real grasp of their folk music and what they mean to accomplish with that accoutrement.

I've said it somewhere before that one of the few positive effects of globalization is the fact that we'll be seeing great metal emerge from virtually every country on earth. I think that potential is doubled when we approach folk metal. For a new age that's been generally criticized for social and cultural alienation, the time has never been so ripe for folk to be embraced by metal in a serious manner that extends past a love of liquor and vague High Fantasy fandom. Oscuro Mito haven't yet convinced me as a metal band, but for their folkish potential, I am genuinely interested to see what they'll develop into with future albums.

Originally written for Heathen Harvest Periodical