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Hiems: Worship Or Die Black Metal Moribund Records July 24th, 2009
- "W.O.F. (Edit)" (MoribundRecords.com) Originally posted on December 7th, 2009 | ||
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Review
Hiems is another Black Metal solo project founded by Algol, who is known mostly for his works with Forgotten Tomb and Dead?. While solo projects from establish band members of this style seems to be the new thing to do, a good majority of those solo releases suffer from some stereotypical issues that seem to be mandated as a permanent sound for every Black Metal release. While the cold and grim sound works for this style, it's rare you'll sit down and find a solo release that doesn't sound like it was recorded through an old cassette recorder. On Worship Or Die, Hiem breaks that stereotype and offers listeners a very heavy and welcome alternative. First of all, you'll notice the superb recording quality of the album, making it approachable by anyone who enjoys Black Metal but can't stand the poor production by some bands and acts who feel it is how all their material needs to be recorded in order for them to sound evil. While this release may not sound like the devil is shouting at you through a metal bucket, it definitely makes it's presence known through very heavy and lower sounding riffs that give the album a much needed intensity to go along with it's mid-pace music. Every once in a while you'll get some faster paced music, or it'll drop down to a slightly slower pace, but for a good majority of the album it's a steady pace that chugs along with some complex riffs and fluid double bass that vary between a mixture of Black Metal with Thrash, such as on "Scum Destroyer",and even Groove Metal elements like on "W.O.F.". There's even a hint of Jazz mixed in thanks to the keyboard solo at the end of "Hiems" and into "2909979". The instrumental tracks on here are nothing really that brag worthy. "Worship Or Die" actually causes the album to start off a bit rocky, and "Adventum" can actually get a bit irritating since it's just a sample of a baby crying, distorted, with ambient noise and bells in the background. The actual songs on here, with the exception of the faster paced "Scum Destroyer" and "Race With The Devil" are rather long. While a few of these clearly were planned to be longer tracks and seem to have more work done to them, like "Hiem", which continues in the instrumental "2909979", others you can tell were just drawn out a bit to try to keep with the track length, which is a bit disheartening. "W.O.F." is a perfect example of this as the song is very well done, but as it goes on, the riffs become a little lame in comparison to the start of the track. If it's not that, then they get a little repetative at times like with "Wounds Just Death Can Heal", which is also a stand out track. But, perhaps the most interesting bit of the album comes at the end. As mentioned, "Hiems", the longest track, is a very well done conclusion track to the album, even if the keyboard solo that sounds rooted in Jazz (as far as how the keyboards themselves sound) and old school Rock 'N Roll, it's how the album actually ends that will spark some curiosity. While they clash, the Jazz sounding keyboard solo of "2909979" is interesting, though not too important and seems to have just been tacked on since they seem to be a continuation of the ones in "Hiems", even though they were stopped before the song ends. And then, you have the Girlschool cover track "Race With The Devil" which features more of those keyboards, as well as a very different and clashing Hard Rock music and sung vocals. While the track is actually pretty good, it seems to take away from the overall climax of the album. While this release has it's flaws, Worship Or Die is still a cut above the rest and is a very impressive solo Black Metal release. If you're tired of hearing the same elements utilized in every release, and can't stand hearing another grown man shriek like a demon or banshee into a tin cup, then this album will definitely be a treat for you. With it bringing in so many different influences with the music, and being far from the standard preconceptions of the style, it brings a rather fresh and intense approach to the style that has been missing for quite some time, and is definitely not a release to be scoffed at, aside the track "Race With The Devil" which many will scoff at no matter what.
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