The Church

When the band’s debut album ‘Mutilation Epoch’ came out, it provided an example on how depressive black metal and noise can be merged together. The dissonant and drone-like textures/motives combined with the insane screams created an intense listening experience; it should be noted though that only two of the tracks had these facets. In case someone wants to give this type of music a try, the label ‘Radical Matters’ has made several tracks available for free download.

Four years and several releases later – 2011 – ChurcH seems to mark something else: stagnation. Actually, no! The way in which all elements play together on this album is rather a parody of what has been laid out above. Those textures are still the same, those vocals are still the same and also the atmosphere has remained, but all these together remember rather on something that has been ‘blend’ together and created an indistinguishable mess, than a clear cut as well as thought through concept.

Constant in its approach, the music meanders with a very distinct tempo, as if this would be the only possible one to play it. Everything is dull and unable to give a lasting impression. The noisy layers are simply there, they switch but nothing else happens. From the way they had been crafted, the entire performance sounds like their earlier stuff put on a stretcher. What had been fascinating once has become a strain to listen to since. Noise and black metal still create a consistent as well as coherent picture, but it is of a kind that will rather turn people off due to its dullness, than to create some kind of curiosity.

ChurcH is nothing but a disappointment … and if it foreshadows the path the band wants to proceed on, then you can most certainly do one thing: ignore it from now on.