CoC : The Black - Black Blood : Review

The Black - _Black Blood_
(Necropolis Records, 1996)
by: Drew Snow (6 out of 10)

If you've already heard The Black's debut album, _The Priest of Satan_, then there's not much new to tell you about this MCD. It's their demo pressed on CD, and suffice it to say, it sounds -just- like _TPoS_. If, on the other hand, you haven't heard The Black before, this is fairly old school straightforward black metal with ear lacerating production. Most of the time, this stuff is not exactly something to write home about, and with the production as annoying as it is (-extremely- raw sounding), the slower parts are definitely welcome, and without question the best part. A great brooding, menacing sound is evident in these sections, with occasionally some keyboards backing for atmosphere (something which definitely does not decrease the brutality one bit). If you're looking for progressive, melodic, orchestral metal, don't even think about it, and even those who look more toward the old school sound might not want to check this out. But those who already know The Black's sound and don't mind it won't be disappointed.

(article published 2/1/1997)