Wodensthrone - Curse It takes a special kind of attitude to make black metal interesting these days. The strictures of the genre are fairly narrow, as such things go, and we've heard the angry guys with bullet belts do their thing for twenty years now. The unrelenting blastbeats and raspy screams are great, but bands now definitely have to walk a tightrope between "I heard this album ten years ago" and "this isn't even black metal." That's why, despite what the Kvltists would have you believe, I think the opening of the genre to more progressive, folk, and post-rock elements was a good thing. British black metal band Wodensthrone seem to agree as well, because their new LP Curse shows that they've successfully welded elements beyond spiked shinguards and facepaint to their icy Saxon darkness.
Between the release of their last album, Loss, and now, Wodensthrone lost their lead singer, but decided to split the duties amongst themselves. Since the remaining members clearly have the talent to pull it off, this was a great decision. Black metal vocals can easily become grating and tedious over an entire record player, but the multiple vocalists really keeps things interesting here. There are even clean vocals used to great effect in songs like the excellent "Jormungandr." Overall, the musicianship is top-notch, very precise and emotional, and most importantly, the extra musical elements are blended seamlessly with the scathing black metal. Wodensthrone clearly knows what they're doing, and they don't force listeners through awkward transitions. Just take a listen to how the bridge in "First Light" unfolds. The aggressive guitar and drum attack gives way to acoustic guitar and flutes, but instead of the shift being jarring, it becomes dramatic, a feeling that gets heightened even further as the electric guitars lay their leads over the bridge. All this is made possible by the clear, crisp production; this record is thankfully devoid of any tin-can recording techniques.
The best tendency to come from the expansion of the black metal genre is the downplaying of the play-acting Satanism and ridiculous theatrical overtures, and Wodensthrone is a great example of this. The music is serious and true, completely devoid of schlock, and willing to let aggression occasionally take a back seat to other colors in the emotional palette.
-Review by TZARATHUSTRA
