Ouija "Selenophile Impia" CD

Recorded Between March and April 2021 at Nomad Studio, Lleida.
Mastered by Devo Andersson at Endarker Studio. Norrköping, Sweden.

‘Selenophile Impia’ is the latest EP from this Spanish black metal outfit. It’s an interesting summation of various European mainstays, with elements of Bathory, Darkthrone, and Enslaved, plus some hints at funeral doom flavours creeping in on the closing track ‘Therianthropic Involution’. Although brief, Ouija manage to collect a plurality of disparate colours into a remarkably focused work of riff laden black metal, orientated toward instrumental precision and delivery over weighty atmospheric concepts.
With that in mind, the production is suitably polished, with the mix exhibiting a pristine musical sheen as opposed to the four-track static that many of their contemporaries favour. The guitar tone is cold and crisp, able to effectively layer up those tremolo riffs just as easily as the staccato rhythmic punches of melodic metal and some welcome old school black metal flourishes. Drums offer an equally diverse smorgasbord of intricate patterns that favour the interplay of cymbals and kick drums alongside more garden variety mid-paced blast-beats. Vocals fit this duality nicely, offering a lower register than is typical for black metal, but no less rhythmically precise for it.
Despite the music’s multifaceted armoury of black metal riff traditions, it is still surprisingly direct. The individual tracks meander and break off into a variety of different pathways for sure, with each offering unique tonal colourings, but all is rendered through a very immediate and intimate presentation. No ethereal keyboards, no heavy-handed reverb, and – despite some clean segments – no overly indulgent guitar noise. Ouija are totally focused on delivering this slab of melodic metal via riffs and instrumental interchange, with very few adornments to distract us from the experience.

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