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May 21, 2012 |
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01. Bauglir
02. Across The Streaming Tide
03. Mirdautas Vras
04. Might And Glory
05. Beleriand
06. Northward
07. Menegroth
08. Land Of The Dead
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"SUMMONING - Oath Bound: Music from Middle Earth! Feat. The first song ever, 'Mirdautas Vras', in the language of the Orcs!" So reads the sticker emblazoned boldly upon the jewel case of the release destined to be hailed in many circles as perhaps the best Black Metal release of 2006. Stop snickering. I have. Regardless of how little such media/label-born statements do for the collective case of a subgenre too oft accused of being populated by nothing more than misanthropic, D&D laying, basement-dwelling nerds, the fact remains that in my not so humble opinion, the black-hearted two-man-horde of Austria's SUMMONING (Silenius/keyboards & vox, and Protector/keyboards, vox, guitars, and drum machine) have finally released what can only be termed as their penultimate benighted musical statement to date with the absolutely glorious, gorgeous, and frankly perfect piece of work that is "Oath Bound".
SUMMONING have always been outsiders even within Black Metal which is in and of itself a subgenre defined by it's inarguable place in Metaldom as a haven for outsiders, individualists, elitists, and other such dark-cowled sorts who invariably inhabit the darker, more shadowy artistic and aesthetic corners of the human psyche. Focusing exclusively upon themes taken directly from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, SUMMONING currently have six full-length albums and two EPs to their credit, a considerable body of work indeed which showcases a unique creative spin on the patented, Black Metal template of dischordant, uber-trebly, dissonant guitarwork, and tortured, screeching vocals by adding considerable layers of proto-Medieval melodic constructs, rousing male choral sections, and synthesized ambience to create dark, epic symphonies that transcend such pale descriptives as "hypnotic" or even "mesmerizing", rather taking the listener upon a sonic journey into the beautifully grey and shifting hinterlands of magic and imagination itself.
No other band in Black Metal today possess the gift for creating truly soul-stirring melodies that SUMMONING have at their disposal. At best, only Poland's GRAVELAND, and perhaps early BURZUM can lay claim to the creation of such a sense of grimly heroic, fantastical atmosphere. Isolated and bleak, the music of SUMMONING conveys an almost tangible aura of pensive unrest and menace beneath the pomp and glory of crumbling empires and dying civilizations. If the likes of say, EMPEROR and IMMORTAL were once evocative of the thunder of some triumphant horde marching fiery and victorious across the land, then SUMMONING could likewise be more aptly described as a lone warrior, reflective and brooding beneath grey skies upon a field of slain foemen, leaning wearily upon a notched and battered blade before a chill and unforgiving wind. Obviously the use of such poetically visual descriptives to convey something as intangible as "sound" in music is a fairly left-of-centre approach to writing a review such as this, but nevertheless I do feel that in this case it serves as a more than appropriate starting point from which to analyze an album such as "Oath Bound" which truly is, throughout its eight phenomenal tracks, a very cohesive and effective piece of aural poetry the likes of which hasn’t stirred such welcome dark emotion in me since AGALLOCH last released an album with their "The Mantle" masterpiece back in 2002.
Each track on "Oath Bound" is built around a central keyboard theme lain serpentine and undulating over a wall of drums and expansive, dischordant guitars, each piece rife with hook as melodies weave and intertwine in dissonant harmony to create a stirring pageantry of ancient glory and deep melancholy. The compositional structures used are so original and enigmatic that one barely notices that many tracks stray well over the five to six minutes mark, heaving and surging into epic constructs that reveal ever greater treasures over many repeat plays. Faves? Where to even begin!?! Everything on this album is executed just so "right" that to single out particular tracks seems almost insulting to the integrity of the album as a whole. Some of the more invigorating moments to be found however would have to include the palpable sense of oncoming dread achieved on the menacing "Mirdautas Vras", the stirring clean choral section of "Might And Glory", the enchanting, entrancing piano-driven melodic backbone of "Northwards", and the absolutely beautiful melancholy of "Land Of The Dead" which contains perhaps one of the most hauntingly enchanting piano melodies I've heard from a Black Metal piece in years. Almost brings a tear to the eye.
"Oath Bound" is an absolute triumph, not only for SUMMONING as a band, but for Black Metal as a genre/subgenre. At a time when most acts falling under said mantle have opted for either a watered-down, mainstream-success-oriented version of what once made them great, or have simply lapsed into a state of predictable, repetitive creative apathy, SUMMONING have consciously returned to a very cold, yet strangely organic, "natural", and emotive approach to creating such dark music the likes of which once gave us such classic releases as "In the Nightside Eclipse", "Filosofem", "Stormblast", "Frost", and "Pure Holocaust" to name but a few instantly recognizable titles (to those in the know at any rate!) which possess the same aura and aesthetic as is achieved with "Oath Bound". Both true to the aesthetic and sonic integrity of what Black Metal originally set out to achieve, as well as reinvigorating and revitalizing the form by way of inspired creative drive, SUMMONING have created a true watershed release. The result is both welcomingly evocative of past glories, and simultaneously original and moving. As a result I cannot in good conscience award this release anything less than a perfect "10". Creative brilliance and purity of both intention and execution demand no less. Both “Oath Bound” and SUMMONING have easily just trumped pretty much anything Black Metal has spawned in the last five, and maybe even ten years. THE Black Metal album of 2006.
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