It’s not every day we receive an album for review marked as ‘Cuban Black Metal’ here at MOSH, so we were intrigued when Narbeleth‘s Through Blackness and Remote Places landed in our laps. Black metal isn’t a genre of music most people would associate with the Caribbean island of Cuba. It’s known for its white-sand beaches, cigars and west African and Spanish inspired music, but you won’t find a rumba rhythm or flamenco guitar here – this is pure, raw black metal through and through.
Unlike bands such as Dimmu Borgir who have gone down the more symphonic black metal route with a cleaner and more polished sound, Narbeleth take the genre back to its underground roots and its most organic, raw form. Through Blackness and Remote Places is a relentless and punishing listen right from the start, opening with ‘Sons of the Grand Cosmic Emanation’ which will arouse ears familiar with the morbidly magnificent sounds of 90s black metal pioneers Emperor and Immortal. Headcharging like an iron-toothed beast, it unleashes a menacing discord of manic percussive explosions and heavily distorted guitars, with Lord Dakkar‘s deathly shrieks making the sonic experience all the more delightfully horrible.
‘An Unholy Gathering’ mixes things up a bit, starting with an easy-going galloping riff, slowing the pace down before returning to high-velocity fury, whilst stand-out track ‘Delivering The Very Soul’ brims with dark energy, melancholic tremolo picking and twin-guitar harmonies. Narbeleth draw the final curtain with a cover of Judas Iscariot‘s ‘Gaze Upon The Heaven In Flames’ in a harkened salute, containing blasphemous lyrical themes which make this one you wouldn’t want to play in front of your nan.
Though not breaking new ground and a little samey thoughout, Through Blackness and Remote Places will appease fans of the genre, however it may prove too intense and old-school for some.
