THE RUINS OF BEVERAST - Exuvia
Van Records
As far as German black metal goes I've always been a traditionalist. I like my MOONBLOOD, ENDSTILLE, NARGAROTH and KATHARSIS. Just to name a few that is and yes all classic hate filled bands. Although in more recent years I've allowed certain German black metal acts that hang off the template by their fingernails. I'm talking about bands like SECRETS OF THE MOON and THE RUINS OF BEVERAST. I first got into this act because it's the solo project of Alexander von Meilenwald who was once in another cool German black metal band NAGELFAR. Obviously this project is a far cry from his previous work.
This is THE RUINS OF BEVERAST's fifth full length. I own three prievious ones and must say 2006's Rain upon the Impure and 2009's Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite are pretty damm good. I never owned the first one and thought 2013's Blood Vaults was a bit boring. So here we have the latest and my thoughts on Exuvia are mixed. On the plus side I like how this sticks with the blackened doom esthetics of past releases albeit still keeping the blacks very black. That's what Von Meilenwald does so well.
So what's not to like? Well there's too much, no there's way too much repetition. I like all six cuts on here but their lengths are based on the continuous repeated riffs that crawl along like a snail. The opening title track is over fifteen minutes long. The first time I listened to it at the ten minute mark I left the room to make coffee. I came back and it was still playing and I hadn't missed a beat. Then there's "The Pythia´s Pale Wolves" which is an incredible song, my favorite on here, with those airy ethereal female wails backed with a sonically charged rhythm. Then the thing ends with a blackened maelstrom. Sure that's great but by the twelve minute mark you kinda wander and the ending is a let down.
The bottom line is that too much of a good thing gets boring. Also I'm not into the whole tribal thing Von Meilenwald is pushing with the chants and spoken word portions. Also I'd swear that "Towards Malakia" is a reworking of something KATATONIA did years ago but hey you can blacken anything these days. Still this is better than Blood Vaults.
http://www.van-gbr.de/
https://theruinsofbeverast.bandcamp.com/album/exuvia
https://www.facebook.com/The-Ruins-Of-Beverast-116
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