Aural Fixations

CRADLE OF FILTH
Damnation and a Day
(AbraCadaver/Red Ink/Epic)
OLD MAN'S CHILD
In Defiance of Existence
(Century Media)
1349
Liberation
(Candlelight)
VITAL REMAINS
Dechristianize
(Olympic)
Try to explain the whole black metal thing to an unbeliever—just try. It's aggressive, it's dissonant (though not necessarily amelodic), it's angrily anti-social; in short, it's as extreme as extreme metal can be without toppling over into the filthy pen of grindcore. Our old friends at Anus.com describe the impetus behind black metal as "expressing nihilism and a heroic anti-social assertion of the self," and sing the praises of the earlier school of black metal, when blast beats, ripping guitar work, neoclassical melodies, larynx-abusing vocals and raw production were the hallmarks of the genre. Corpse paint, barbarian weaponry and blatantly Satanic lyrics, both for shock value and genuine expressions of faith, were also staples; "evil" was a virtue to be celebrated, not a vice to be fought. Norway was and continues to be the heart of the black metal vortex, though every country in the world has a scene (check out Japan's awesome Sigh sometime). Black metal is, in short, the kind of music your parents always feared you would listen to and be corrupted by.

Like any genre of music, though, black metal has evolved over the years. The subject matter has opened wide, with expressions of Nordic pride, mythology, social commentary, horror movies and even the occasional (very occasional) navel-gazing introspection sharing space with declarations of war and genocide. Musically, keyboards, symphonic textures (including, in some case, actual orchestras), clean vocals and more traditional rock and metal riffery have insinuated themselves, though many bands remain purist. This has resulted in some schisms in the black metal community; as with any closed-circuit genre, deviation from what made the music different in the first place results in cries of "traitor" and "sell-out!" The sonic and thematic expansion also means that black metal has reached an audience outside of its usual circle, which, again, has brought charges of deliberate attempts to dilute the genre, especially when mainstream rock critics suddenly started praising bands like Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. With the recent signing of some of the bands to major label contracts (it only took a decade for the bean counters to notice the millions of albums selling around the world), awareness of black metal has never been higher. With that in mind, we've rounded up a quartet of recent releases for wider perusal.

Cradle of Filth holds the distinction of being a controversial band even within black metal circles. Old-school fans take exception to the British quintet's ever-expanding sound; the raw sonics of early Nordic black metal were abandoned early on in Filth's history, as the group incorporated not only keyboards (reason enough to cry "Heresy!" in some fanatics' minds) but also orchestras, choirs, spit-and-polish production and (gasp) hooks. Combine this with an elaborate, crowd-pleasing stage show (the Alice Cooper of the underground) and it's no wonder CoF has become both the most popular and the most reviled black metal act in the world. Even worse, in the view of some, anyway, CoF has never made any bones about its place in the universe; the band sees itself as entertainment, rather than a true force for evil. (Some might argue that the band's tendency not to take itself too seriously makes it more honest than the usual hordes of corpse paint-adorned screamers.) Which isn't to say the Filth isn't ambitious, mind you. Its latest album Damnation and a Day is nothing less than a concept album about the fall of Satan from heaven, filled with pseudo-poetic lyrics, angelic choirs, elaborately Photoshopped graphics, orchestral interludes, a narrator and, of course, lots and lots of vicious metal riffs and high-pitched screaming. Guitarist Paul Allender is the nuclear engine driving this rocket, slashing and hammering at the arrangements with deadly six-string volleys and furious washes of ugly power chords. Bassist David Pubis and drummer Adrian Erlandsson (formerly of death metal pioneers At the Gates) keep the music moving at an aggressive clip, while keyboardist Martin Foul and the Budapest Film Orchestra and Choir fill in the blanks. Riding the top of this elegant tyrannosaur is frontman Dani Filth, who stands out from most black metal vocalists due to his unholy screech; his voice sounds like the typical ugly rasp injected with helium, an acquired taste at best. The songs themselves are the band's most potent yet; the mixture of Gothic melodies and death metal riffs in tunes like "Presents From the Poison Hearted," "Mannequin" and "Hurt and Virtue" is a lethal one. Dani Filth's undeniable charisma, despite his attempts to imitate a screech owl, works with the riffs to make nearly every track compelling, in a very Grand Guignol way. Sure, it's pretentious and overblown, but this band wouldn't have it any other way. Damnation and a Day may very well be Cradle of Filth's masterpiece. (more)

Album reviews of new music by:

Big Midnight

With garage rock aggression, glam rock attitude, rock/pop melodies, rootsy instrumentation and a classic snotty-but-soulful frontman, the young men of Big Midnight have a yummy recipe in place on Everything For the First Time. (more)

Caitlin Cary

As marvelous an example of a sophomore album as you could ask for, I'm Staying Out beautifully balances craft and heart. (more)

Keith Christmas

A nimble, lyrical fingerpicker, Christmas fills Acoustica with acoustic guitar pieces that have strong melodic backbones and busy arrangements. (more)

Darling Violetta

The band garnishes its emotional pop with touches of Goth, electronics and dream pop, but doesn't reference any specific practitioners of any style. (more)

King Crimson

The Power to Believe is simply Crimson doing what Crimson does. (more)

Gary Numan

Developed with Numan's full participation, most of Hybrid consists of old tracks remixed and "reworked" by contemporary electronicists and producers. (more)

Puny Human

On It's Not the Heat, It's the Humanity, PH's big, loud rawk is the kind made for a Miller Lite sign and a beer-covered stage, preferably one surrounded by hot chicks in halter tops. (more)

And enjoy in the refreshed sounds of Willie Nelson and Townes Van Zandt.