Labels: Sentient Ruin Laboratories
Formats: Vinyl Digital
Release Date: 13 Sep 2019
Tracklist:
1. Black Fucking Cancer - Boundless Arcane Invokation
2. Gloam - Boundless Arcane Invokation
I have no will to be sociable this evening, mainly due to the dank gloomy night outside and the constant, spontaneous fireworks that are being set off (I'm one of those people who thinks that they should only be used on Bonfire night and New Year's Eve). Instead, I'm delving into this collaborative US black metal split featuring Californian bands Black Fucking Cancer and Gloam. Both offer forth contributions of the same name, both are near or passed the twenty-minute mark and both were recorded in the same studio following the same concept. It was released in September via Sentient Ruin Laboratories on black vinyl (limited to 200 copies) and also digitally.
Straight away, Black Fucking Cancer’s Boundless Arcane Invokation sounds disturbing and chaotic. The instrumentation is shrouded in feedback and noise during the initial build-up, while the vocals are held within the mix, sounding like they’re trying to escape. Of course, that’s only the intro and when the commotion dissipates, you’re greeted with a much clearer form of black metal. What you also get is music that encompasses the best elements of the genre, with an upbeat tempo and swathes of technicality alongside the ever-changing growls and shrieks. The further you get into BFC’s contribution, the more musical and impressive it becomes. Sumptuous solos and constantly changing movements are delivered with ease. Their’s is a blueprint born of black metal that’s more sinister and evil, like those from Scandinavia and Europe in general.
Following on from the engrossing sound of BFC, Gloam’s immediacy is obvious. Their own interpretation of Boundless Arcane Invokation is filled with metallic barbarity and black-thrash undertones. When they strip things back slightly, there’s a mesmerising quality to their music. It’s also technical as well, with off-kilter tempos and progression in the right places. As mentioned earlier on in this paragraph, the metallic guitar work really compliments the song and indeed Gloam's overall sound. There’a certainly a sense that Gloam is coming from the same angle to that of the more orthodox US black metal bands, as opposed to the likes of Wolves In The Throne Room etc, but that’s not unappealing and again, alongside BFC, they provide you with plenty to enjoy. It’s great and rounds out a split that offers up something outside of the norm.
Both Black Fucking Cancer and Gloam are fantastic here. Their kinship is obvious and the music they’ve crafted only makes the bond grow stronger. Black metal may be anti-humanistic and solitary at times but it’s also positive and mind altering. Both bands invoke emotions from both ends of that spectrum and that just goes to show how talented they are.
Stream and purchase "Boundless Arcane Invokations" digitally and on vinyl below:-
Black Fucking Cancer - https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Black_Fucking_Cancer
Sentient Ruin Laboratories - https://www.facebook.com/SentientRuin/
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