Chaos at Feast

Black metal as sentimentality; it’s probably one of the pivotal shifts in philosophy from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ school that has determined the creative decisions of each ethos. But of the old school, the techniques and traditions that set it apart from other forms of metal always did lend themselves to a certain immersive, cathartic release not available to other, more grounded styles. Whilst these were originally directed towards eternalist musical philosophies, there was always an undercurrent of personal (and therefore temporary) yearning to be found at the heart of black metal. The fact that this sentimentality, or rather pathos, has been reinterpreted into flat, unimaginative facsimiles of black metal’s original spirit has been well documented. But in emphasising this lamentable phenomena, it can be easy to forget the nobility of the original intent.

Yes, drawing attention to the heady emotivism of black metal carries with it many risks, but that does not make the initial spark of motivation and inspiration a pure one. Enter Idaho’s Tempestarii, a solo black metal outfit who have just offered up their second LP ‘Chaos at Feast’, now out on French black metal label Transcendance. It’s a work that is at once bold in its mastery of powerful emotional forces that run through the entire album – sorrow, loss, despair, hope – yet also restrained in its ability to harness said forces into a disciplined compositional framework. One that speaks of something deeper than an unfocused outpouring of the human condition.

The production is highly bespoke, much like the Swedish masters Dawn, Vinterland, or Sacramentum, it is tailored towards creating one particular atmosphere, but doing it so competently that one can’t help but get sucked in. Drums offer a tight but varied foundation, switching from blast-beats to slower fills defined by rumbling toms and the wash of cold atmospheres that only relentless crash cymbals laced in reverb can provide. Although the drums are clear enough for one to appreciate on a technical level, their supressed position in the mix is indicative of their secondary, supportive role in this symphony. The guitar tone is typical of fast, atmospheric black metal: thin, covered in reverb, accenting the high end and taking full advantage of the inertia that supervenes on each chord progression when tremolo picked with open strings. Bass is audible, aiding the drums in anchoring this wash of cold, sparse soundscapes. Vocals follow in the same footsteps, with high end screeches and the occasional echoey cleanly sung passage to accent the melodrama.

‘Chaos at Feast’ calls to mind a more ethereal ‘De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas’. It walks that line between meticulous riffcraft and immersive atmosphere. The former is stripped down, simplified, or rather, the development of each passage and the links between them are elongated for the sake of allowing the music room to breathe. This is a story of texture more than it is a puzzle of complex chord progressions. The musicality, although flawlessly executed, is put in service of these overarching themes. This album is a testament to the fact that one can still create highly emotive statements within black metal whilst creating soundscapes that transcend the individual’s place in the world. Despite this album’s undeniable sentimentality, the music is stirring, life affirming, powerful, and ultimately celebrates the world beyond the individual perspective.

Originally published at Hate Meditations