Beastcraft, a band I had stumbled upon after searching deep for some pure sounding, obscure black metal. At first impression, I knew the band held an amazing prospect in their first 3 demos. When hearing that "Dawn of the Serpent" included these 3 demos, as well as 2 added tracks, I immediately was drawn to buying it, and not long after, I can say this music is exactly what I'd been in search for... And for long indeed.
The black metal mass(acre) gets going with "Satanist" and after hearing this short yet extremely effective track, it is quite clear that this band are a brand of serious musicians. The music intensifies as "Satanic Fiend" seems to lurk from audial shadows into your very soul. The sound of the guitars is very thick and heavy, and doesn't interfere with the drums (which are low in the mix) or the vocals. Great songwriting presented here, with some amazing riffs which will hypnotize you in their pure misanthropic and hateful sound.
The drums, as stated before, are low, yet audible enough to make their presence felt. The rhythms are an interesting factor concerning the drums here. The drummer plays in a very interesting and primal-sounding fashion. Nothing spectacular in the shape of endless blasting, but the drums will leave their mark on the listener as well, since their sound adds to the overall hateful and negative feeling the album so eagerly spews.
The lyrics are to the point and the vocals are among the best I've heard, since they sound exactly how they should in black metal. I find the vocals being what keeps me interested the most in Beastcraft's music, even with the other instruments complimenting the level of tension and hate. A memorable vocal performance indeed, they stand on their own yet complete the album and make it am utter masterpiece. Notable inspirations in their sound are bands like Bathory, Gorgoroth, Urgehal, however, this band also has a very unique soun on their own.
The score i've given this album is a testament to the band's impact (musically) and also the high level of respect this band has almost immediately earned from many (or not so many) fans, including myself. "Dawn of the Serpent" is recommended to anyone with an interest in traditional black metal, with an added vibe of hatefulness that will leave the listener eager for more of it. Brilliant.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lvkuwRgvIw
