Craft "White Noise And Black Metal" Cassette

I will be honest, Craft had not truly caught my attention until this album. It was not that their music was "bad" per se; I just listen to a lot of black metal, and sometimes bands just get shuffled to the bottom of my collection. Their music was always good, but, for me, this album is where they have catapulted themselves from "good" to "great" and it garners retroactive recognition of their entire catalog.
Craft have created something special with this release, as it achieves several things that few black metal records do. The opening track, "The Cosmic Sphere Falls", perfectly sets the tone for this, neatly wrapping their statement on the musical world all in one song. It contains so many nice elements, and all instruments shine in the track, showing that a well-produced black metal song/album can do the genre justice. Yet, the song (and the record) still manage to retain a feeling of rawness so coveted in the BM genre. This is one well-crafted album.
As far as the specific elements, Craft have added progressive elements to this album that really help to bring the music forth. The two guitars brilliantly harmonize giving a feeling of dark, dimensionality to the music. This is rare in the genre. It is tastefully done, and Craft do not veer into complete atonal chaos, such as bands like Deathspell Omega or Dodecahedron (not that those are not enjoyable styles, as well), but gives this album complexity that makes it a very enjoyable experience.
When Craft isn't layering guitars in special ways on the album, they are creating memorable riffs that grab the listener. Songs like "Again" and "Darkness Falls" have some very catchy riffing and vocals, yet remain dark and sinister. This is some great stuff. And, fortunately, the album does not let up and fall flat; it is a masterpiece from beginning to end.
For me, this is a breakout album for Craft and is the beginning of them setting themselves apart from other bands in the genre. Their previous records are known for their excellence in the black metal genre, of course, but did not quite stand out from the crowd quite like this. The question will remain: Can Craft top this? One must wonder what their next album will bring. For now, we can only continue to enjoy this amazing record that few others in the genre can match.

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