CoC : Cacotopia - Unnatural Disaster : Review

Cacotopia - _Unnatural Disaster_
by: Quentin Kalis (3 out of 5)

Unless I am very much mistaken, their name translates roughly as "World of Noise" and is not a bad choice for this trio of blackened Americans. Their demo is permeated with a strong DIY atmosphere, but fortunately sans the fuzz that features on far too many black metal recordings. This is partially due to the vocals, which have discarded the typical banshee shrieks in favour of a lower but more natural and clearly enunciated (relatively speaking) vocals. Perhaps Attila is the influence, but the first comparison that springs to mind are spoofsters Blackthrone, which I seriously doubt is a comparison they would relish. The reverb that surfaces occasionally reinforces the homemade feel, but is also distracting, as is the use of a drum machine. It is probably used purely out of necessity, but then again, how hard is it to obtain the services of an extreme drummer in the USA? Also, electronic drums are just a little bit too perfect, which doesn't fit well with black metal's characteristically loose performance. Nonetheless, it remains a passable first recording.

Contact: http://www.cacotopia.net

(article published 16/3/2007)