Like one of today's typical underground Black Metal bands, Valoton wishes to stay in the shadows. The group hails from Finland, but that's about all that is available of this group, as the member identities, the year they formed, all of that information is not available, nor is there a website for the band itself, leaving nothing behind of their path of destruction. The only thing about this group that seperates them from many of today's more secretive acts is the more pollished production quality of Beastificate, their debut full-length effort through Hammer of Hate Records. So, the question, really, is whether this band is worth being that secretive, or if it's some kind of gimmick to try to lure fans of the style into purchasing their material simply because of their mysterious nature.
As stated, the overall production is a lot cleaner then one would expect from a band that prefers anonymity, but in it's defense, the band utilizes material that is typically of a fast pace, merging back and forth between razor-like furiocity with the guitars and drums, to a more heavier and intimidating Black Metal sound. The production lends to that intimidating feeling, which does appear throughout, but the slower sections has that atmosphere going a little more, mostly due to a more ritualistic approach, which is what happens during those sections in the title track, "Beastificate", which features background clean singing against the sharp rhaspy vocal approach, but far back in the recording to give it that sensation and really play on the overall atmosphere of the recording. These also appear on the closing track "Reborn in Flames", but stand out a little more, giving the track more of an epic glorious feel then anything for the short time they are performed.
There is also a good deal of melody to the material here, mostly due to the fantastic guitar work throughout the album, causing the music to take on a life of it's own in a stylish Symphonic Black Metal approach, but without any sort of Symphonic element, almsot as if listening to an album heavily inspired by similar bands like Watain. There also is no denying some of the early Black Metal influences that appear on this recording, such as a huge throwback to Venom with the harsher vocals and slower pace that the band would would in their recordings. This little homage only happens once, and while it works perfectly with the recording, it just sounds a little abrupt and like it comes out of nowhere.
The longer you progress through the album, you will often come across tracks that are a bit out of the ordinary with atmosphere. While the band plays music that often sounds like artillery going off due to the rapid firing pace, as well as the blistering double bass kicks, the music can weave a feeling all it's own, past that of a traditional doom and gloom atmosphere of cold, wintery mountains of the most Northern of regions. Instead, it seems to pick up a genuine feeling of a dark, black magic. "Musta Soihtu" is the perfect example of this, as the song almost gives off an unnatural feel that carries itself in a dark, yet spellbinding manner. Sadly, not all tracks have this overall feel to the music, as some do carry the cold, depressing feel to them, such as "Sancta Scientia", and the interlude track "Beatific Visions", which is mostly sounds of a barren landscape with animals such as dogs being abound. Sadly, the latter piece really doesn't set much of a tone, and seems like the band tried to push for the feeling of the track before it, the magical "Musta Soihtu", and failed, leaving a somewhat empty gap between the two that will quickly be skipped over past that initial spin.
What it comes down to, really, is how well the music is done, and it's done quite well indeed. Beastificate is a superb example of how Black Metal bands can create a dark, sinister, and even sometimes magical album in the way of the dark arts. While this anonymous issue with the bands lends a certain aura of mystery, and does seem to push along the dark-magic feel on some of the songs, it's a bit redundant at this point, and isn't as good a push as saying what bands these members have worked with before, as the press statement that accompanied this review copy of the album proves that they are not new to the Black Metal, but have a strong lineage, and it really does show in the music they create. For a debut album, Valoton hold nothing back and bare their teeth, ready to sink into the unsuspecting masses with their impressive Beastificate, and is a release that any Black Metal fan should experience.
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