Originally written by Erik Thomas.
Synopsis:
I’m always a little leery of critiquing albums that involve folks I know, in this case former Metal Review staffer Jeremy Garner. Even more so because this album kinda sat in limbo with us here for a while until a request from Runefire Records asked that we please cover the record. So here it goes…
Review:
Apparently on hiatus due to forming member relocating to Alaska, Bound By Entrails are your fairly typical minor label, formerly underground, unsigned black metal act that play “true” black metal with an appropriate sense of rasping, grimacing energy and oh so evil and mysterious themes. Throw in a sense of gritty thrash and a slightly eclectic sense of songwriting and you get an album from a band that is trying really hard, but the end result misses the mark; only slightly.
With a tangible nod to Absu as the undercurrent for overall sound, Bound By Entrails are by no means bad. They are certainly ambitious with more than a grasp of black metal dynamics glossed with a frosty, misty sense of progression and cavernous foreboding, but when it all comes together, it’s just lacking that cohesion and tightness (especially in the drumming department) that an elite black metal act has. That being said, tracks like “Bitter Nectar”, “Fault of Filth”, “Across the Dead Night Sky” and “Above me, She Bleeds” hint at a skillset and level of slightly blackened, off the beaten path and rangier structures. These moments show something promising lurking under the rough and ready, grimfaced exterior as opposed to the expected blast bash and shriek tones of “Rabid Wolves”, “Prophecy of Severance” and “Progeny of Adam”- two ill advised attention numbing openers of plain blackened furor. The only thing is, how many black metal bands are using ambient/acoustic/doom and almost post rock sounding passages these days? Lots, and Bound By Entrails are just a little ways from pulling it off and sounding much, much better.
As expected from a tiny label and a relatively tiny band, the sound is almost demo quality, but with black metal the more raw and unpolished the better right? Also, the vocals while fitting the overall sense of atmosphere are just singularly monotone shrieks with little personality or presence. Still if this band continues on in Alaska, be it under the same name or a different moniker, I’ll be checking it out at least.
