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Doesn't quite live up to the seventeen years without a full-length.-
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| Ungod: Cloaked in Eternal Darkness |
Black Metal
Kneel Before the Master's Throne Records
March 31st, 2011
- Cloaked in Eternal Darkness - 7:34
- Agnus Dei - 3:04
- Shadows of Golgotha - 3:22
- Deserted Human Plague - 2:48
- In Eternity the Doomed are Yelling - 3:48
- 2000 Years of Lost Pride - 3:00
- Your Blood I Bleed - 4:50
- Morbid Predictions - 3:47
- Phallic Megalomania (Leathercunt III) - 4:30
- Night of the Florlorn Graves - 6:06
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| Review Information |
Release length: 42:29
Review posted on June 13th, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 8/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Circle of the Seven Inferal Pacts (1993) • Cloaked in Eternal Darkness (2011)
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| EP(s): |
Conquering What Once Was Ours (1996) • Ungod (2009)
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| Split(s): |
Ungod/Cabal (1995) • Ungod/Desaster (1995) • Eternal Darkness/Phallus Cult (1998) • Ungod/Baxaxaxa (2002) • Ungod/Mort (2009)
Sexual Blood rites (2011)
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| Demo(s): |
Magicus Tallis Damnation (1992) • Promo 1995 (1995) • Promo 2009 (2009) • În numele Metalului Est-European (2010)
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| Review |
Ungod is a German Black Metal act that formed back in 1991. The group issued their debut full-length Circle of the Seven Infernal Pacts rather quickly, just one year after issuing their first demo, and two years after forming. But, that's the only full-length the group recorded. Up until 2011, the band had recorded a number of EPs, split releases with other bands, and that was it. Most of the time these releases were at least consistent, but in 2002, the band seemed to disappear for several years after recording their split with Baxaxaxa. But, seventeen years later, the group returns with their follow-up full-length, and for fans of this obscured act, it's about time. But, does the band live up to their debut after so long a wait?
If you never knew the band's history, you wouldn't be able to pick up on the time frame of the band's existence all that well. For forming in 1991, the material here isn't comprised largely of early second wave Black Metal acts. Instead, it seems to take on that era's basic foundation, but gives it a little more of a modern Black Metal attitude. The music has that general melancholic sound to it, though not as strong as one would hope, and instead feels a little more angry and meant to be taken as sinister. With the title track, the first song on the recording, the atmosphere for the rest of the release isn't really set up right away, as the band tries to really create this desperate hopelessness to their music that is enough to strike a little fear into the listener's heart through it's slower, intimidating Black Metal performance. After that, the band seems to drop some of that song's Doom Metal meets Black Metal ideas and revert back somewhat to the anger-fueled Black Metal sound of today's bands in the style.
While the music doesn't go into utilizing a lot of blast beats, Ungod is definitely not afraid to really hammer away at their instruments and present a high speed venomous thrill ride for the style. The only problem with that is the music sticks primarily to the basics of today's recordings. While Cloaked in Eternal Darkness isn't the most generic work of Black Metal out there, it does still seem to lack some unique elements to it, and much of the music just sounds like a somewhat simpler approach to the style, just played with a little more energy then usual. The vocals also come off a bit monotone at times with the more shouting approach instead of wailing, but there's still a decent enough amount of variety to keep them from becoming bland, which includes more effort into making some spots rhaspier then others, or even generally louder and more aggressive. All of this seems to really kick in around "Shadows of Golgotha" and "Deserted Human Plague". Both of these songs really have a more sinister and commanding performance from the band, and they both show some great energy between them, though the first has parts that are much faster compared to the latter. But, it's with these tracks that the more venomous side of Ungod seems to quell itself a bit, and give way to a more traditional sounding second wave Black Metal sound until the closing track, "Night of the Forlorn Graces", which brings the album back around to that slower pace "Cloaked in Eternal Darkness" had, but also includes some clean singing for the chorus that makes the song stand out a bit more from the rest, though it actually doesn't really sound as good as some of the other songs on here.
The anger and faster elements of Cloaked in Eternal Darkness come and go throughout the album. When the band is not creating that somewhat commanding vibe to the music, they often take the music more towards their roots. However, this doesn't always go well for the band. "2000 Years of Lost Pride", for example, seems to take on a more obviously earlier Black Metal sound, but just a little faster then what some bands of the time, such as Immortal would have done. The vocals also lose the screaming approach, and take on a rhaspier wail approach, but not the ritualistic fashion of earlier acts. "Your Blood I Bleed" does stem out towards that kind of approach, but still packs enough heat that it has a slightly more evil or hate-filled vibe. The latter of these two tracks happens to go at a slower pace, though it will break out into quicker bursts now and again, but the overall atmosphere that has existed up this point is not really there anymore, though some chords on the faster passages of "Your Blood I Bleed" do feel a little more epic and glorious in comparison to "2000 Years of Lost Pride" or even "Deserted Human Plague". The guitar solo in "2000 Years of Lost Pride" is also something to take notice of, and, again, it doesn't help the overall atmosphere thanks to the out-of-nowhere distortion change and more Heavy Metal-oriented solo that sounds really out of place.
Cloaked in Eternal Darkness is a good album, but for the seventeen year long wait for the band to issue a follow-up, it's not the most jaw droppingly satisfying effort they could have issued. It's not at all a bad album, and it clearly shows signs of the band's roots mixed in with a more modern aggressive side, and for many tracks it works well. But, at the same time, there are just some songs on here that are just good, but lack any real atmosphere, or even come off a bit too bland. Cloaked in Eternal Darkness is still an effort worth checking out, and it's an album that fans of the band and style will approve of finally being recorded and released, and honestly it is great to see this band finally put another full-length album out after seventeen years of various other studio offerings. It's not a bad CD at all, and fans of Black Metal will enjoy many of the solid tracks on here. Is it a mandatory "Rush out and buy it now" release? Well, no, but is it something well worth checking out? Absolutely.
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Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Kneel Before the Master's Throne.
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