Gitrog ‎"Spectral Heraldry" CD Digipack

Cover by Rodolphe Bresdin. "The Comedy Of Death", 1854

GITROG plays really essential Heraldic Black Metal with tribal and ancient sound and terrific variations in vocals. Over 52 minutes of true Heraldic and Atmospheric Black Metal.

Another day, another one-man black metal project from Germany. No complaints from my side as long as the quality level is kept. Today we got Gitrog, formed by a guy calling himself Schemen. There is not too many information available other than “Spectral Heraldry” seems to be the debut and also only release. This is some really haunting stuff, often weird but highly addicting. Listening to this record is like getting caught within a strange and spiritul ritual, and you are not able to escape before the album has ended.
The production quality gives the album a raw sound many times throughout, especially in terms of the vocal aspects. The guitar riffs found in this one aren't too complex or overly technical, but they manage to keep a hypnotic tone and add to the stellar melodies accompanied by the steady and somehow very raw percussions and some loud shrieks. There is some solo guitar action in certain songs, but it's never too overwhelming. However, I will say that the rhythm and the lead guitar complement each other adequately. Basic chords are melted with eerie and hypnotic harmonies to create an outstanding and often unsettling atmosphere.
The music here is raw, it’s angry and at times it sounds bloody dirty. But for all that, it’s absolutely fascinating. There are a lot of ambient pieces or sections with acoustic guitars and also some symphonic samples. Schemen has a fantastic talent for creating haunting and beautiful melodies that feel nihilistic and depressive but also offer a glimmer of hope at the same time. He has worked with the interaction of musky moments and lighter pieces and has melted all those elements into one great piece of sinister art. The ambient harmonies dwelling in the dark and some unorthodox pieces build a fantastic and gloomy atmosphere.
The speed is quite slow for a black metal record with only a few passages where the tempo is upped. However, the melodic harmonies and the fantastic hooks make the record a very enjoyable affair from start to finish. The production is raw and dirty highlighting the slightly obscure character of the music. That being said each detail is perfectly audible. Rounded off by a great cover artwork and howling vocals “Spectral Heraldry” is a gem for each collector of interesting black metal a bit off the beaten paths.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...