CoC : Bloodline - A Pestilence Long Forgotten : Review

Bloodline - _A Pestilence Long Forgotten_
(Ketzer Records/Neodawn Productions, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10)

This is the sort of release that is designed to draw a mixed reaction: the black metal purists will love _APLF's_ deliberate ultra-raw production while others will scorn the unnecessary wall of noise approach. While the latter view is understandable and I in no way consider myself a black metal purist, I favour the former approach, as the rawness of the music creates a primal fury and a cold, clinical sound that would be missing from a record that is subjected to higher production values. Such low-level production is not without (other) flaws: the drumming is relegated to the background, while the intermittent keyboards are occasionally too high in the mix. The keyboards are often necessary in order to counter the pure dissonance of the guitars. The musical style means that it is unlikely to be tolerable and is likely to become tiresome over the course of a full-length; on this 7" EP release containing a mere two tracks - the title track and a cover of Burzum's "Was Einst War" - and with a playing time of some twelve minutes, there is no chance for boredom to make an entrance. Its brevity works in its favour, as it is likely that one would not be able to stand their abrasive style over the course of a full album. If under produced black metal appeals to you then the score above holds; if not, this would be worth a two.

Contact: ketzer@ketzer-records.de

(article published 26/3/2003)