It's Black History Month, so I figured I'd talk about some black metal!*
Drawing Down the Moon is a well-established classic, but it's a weird album - not just for black metal, but in general. It's got what you'd expect from any good record in the genre (relentless & repetitive riffs, cavernous / low-quality audio, deep guttural vocal growls, dismal & evil atmosphere) but everything is turned up to 11... somehow by stripping it all back down to barbarian basics. In the same year as Dissection's The Somberlain, Immortal's Pure Holocaust and Emperor's self-titled EP, all complex metal albums built around a coexistence of electronics and heavy guitar work, Beherit went all in with vocal effects, a dense yet raw sound, and their simple, demonic image.
As usual, I'd like to talk about the context of this album before I get deep into what makes it special. The early 1990s were a golden era for extreme metal; evolving from the heavy metal bands of the late 80s, invested as they were in Satanic themes for shock value, most 90s bands took their sound and image much more seriously and were legitimately interested in the chaos and moral deficiencies of the black / extreme metal world; it was about this time you had bands like Bathory, Mayhem, and Darkthrone with members who actually engaged in church burning, corpse paint makeup, and lots of public controversies. Famously a member of Mayhem committed brutal suicide in 1991, and in 1993 the man behind Burzum was imprisoned for the murder of a fellow musician. See what I mean?
This expanding interest in the pushing of moral boundaries was of course represented in the music these people produced. Riffs got faster and harsher, vocals got harder to interpret easily, production values plummeted on purpose, all to further push the avant-garde horizons and push the envelope. Everyone wanted to be the most "kvlt", savage, and intimidating band; that sold records, that got your name out there to the audience, hungry as they were for more and more insanity. Somehow on their first full-length, Beherit did what they needed to do in a way that no one else has achieved then or since.
"The dream descends to the region of moon / To the land, the sphere of eternal sin..."
-- "The Gate of Nanna"
There's no way to overstate the atmosphere present in this record. I know I speak often about the "aesthetic" of things (how tenuous and subjective a concept!) but here we really have something concrete that adds to the power of the record. The cover art is mystical, cosmic, as alien as the album sounds. Vocalist "Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance" takes the growl to a new extreme and manages to imitate a raspy, barely-human man completely possessed by the spirit of satanic hatred. (Good time as ever to mention that "Beherit" is Syriac for "Satan".) The rhythms at play in these songs are at once listenable and strange, headbang-inducing and smile-melting all at the same time. The sound is distant, echoing in all facets, just raw enough to draw goosebumps but not close enough to be as powerful as thrash metal or more mainstream areas.
Listening to tracks like "Sadomatic Rites" and "Black Arts" really makes it sound like you're listening to a group of cult members performing rituals in the bottom of a dark, candlelit basement somewhere. There's an inhuman quality to all parts; songs are short and to the point but manage to repeat their elements long enough to remain memorable. The drums speed things along but are never swift or aggressive enough to take up too much spotlight. Everything works together - which is to say, yes... it slaps!
The word ritual connects strongly to this album in ways few others can boast. My favorite song "The Gate of Nanna" is a slow, repetitive track that uses its central riff and unorthodox chant-like vocals to hypnotize, drawing you into the air of a sacrifice or something unholy, something evil. To quote Empyreal on Metal-Archives on this song: "they sound like they’re already halfway down the path to sacrificing themselves to the devil via suicide".
Chunky, grimy, even crunchy melodies along with the sharp drums and the echoing "singing" haunts, to say the least. It's evocative, perfectly orchestrated to get the point of the album across without going too in-depth with disgusting lyrical images or chaotic riffage. Drawing Down the Moon on average has a slower tempo than a lot of other black metal albums, but that's to this album's benefit, as breakdowns stretch and effects are given time to really grow in between the chilling sounds the band produces.
I wouldn't go so far as to describe this album as minimalist, not when other genres exist which make a lot more happen with a lot less in the mix. (Speaking of such things, there are a number of ambient cuts here like "Nuclear Girl", the "Intro", and the tribal "Summerlands" which actually do more good than harm to the complete package - a pleasant surprise!) But it's primitive, not overly complicated or filled with gimmicks, and that simplicity is what sells this.
If you're not into metal at all, this album will disgust and repulse you. Hell, even if you do like metal this album will come across as basic, abrasive, likely just weird. But give it a few listens and let it engulf you in its absurd atmosphere; put aside your Christian guilt and imagine witnessing a dismal ritual take place in the shadows with this as the soundtrack; watch how your heart speeds up, how your head and feet start to move along with the beats! You might be surprised at how much you enjoy it!
...Also, if you've come this far without deciding on checking this out... there's a song here called "Werewolf, Semen and Blood". There's nothing more I can or need to say about this.
*Don't worry, I know Black people are rarely involved in black metal at all. (Technically, though, the bassist for this band goes by "Black Jesus". I know that doesn't count.) If I stick to my schedule as planned I'll be talking about a(n actual Black) jazz album next, don't crucify me for this joke lmao
DREAM...
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