European Edtion; limited to 250 hand-numbered copies, on marble shelled tapes.
Same program repeats on both sides.
It's been over thirty years since Zemial first appeared on the bubbling Greek black metal scene. And yet, Archon Vorskaath hasn't been very productive over these three decades, with three albums and six EPs to his name, the current To Slay With Silent Dagger being just the sixth. Proof of this relative discretion is that Zemial's last EP, The Repairer of Reputations, was released six years ago. Nevertheless, we do know that the frontman has been busy re-releasing his first two albums, Sleeping Under Tartaros and For the Glory of Ur, which have long been out of print, contributing to Proscriptor McGovern's Apsû album and starting up a new project, Zofos Kimmerion, with Equitant - Equimanthorn, ex-Absu. Incidentally, he has also been working on two new Zemial albums, one to follow in the footsteps of his progressive tendencies explored on the excellent Nykta, and another more focused on the black thrash metal side of his project, to be released under the name To Slay With Silent Dagger. Still keeping up?
This EP, which has the same title as the new album, is a foretaste of what's to come on Zemial's eagerly-awaited next release, since the eponymous track and Birds of Death are set to feature on it. As Archon Vorskaath himself announces on this short introduction, The Reckoning - Pictis Vremon, something has awoken from the depths of the ages and it's time for the conqueror to re-emerge. If you can smile when you hear the speech on this track, you can detect a few hints of what's to come, along with a few nods to the band's past, with this reference to Face of the Conqueror. On this occasion, the band's frontman hasn't lied, as he's clearly back to his no-frills black thrash metal style. Proof that there are no convoluted tracks here that take us into a whole new world, this recording, comprising four tracks, lasts just over ten minutes. This is certainly a sign that things have changed compared to The Repairer of Reputations, bearing in mind that the tracks Gravity and Birds of Death are just over two minutes long. Efficiency is the key word here, with the up-tempo side of the project back in evidence, with a particularly incisive riffing, just like in the heyday of Face of the Conqueror. In any case, it's as striking on Birds of Death as it is on the title track.
However, and this is where Zemial's genius shines through, these tracks are far from boring, with the band knowing how to stall a few times before going back to the drawing board. There's a definite old-school feel to these four tracks: the sharp riffing, the dated production that lets the instruments breathe, and the way the vocals are placed, with their reverb and intonations reminiscent of Thomas Gabriel Fischer. There are also a few heavy metal influences at times, notably in some of the melodies on the eponymous track and on Gravity. It's To Slay With Silent Dagger that really stands out from the crowd, kicking off with an up-tempo beat, and it's worth remembering that Zemial's frontman is also an excellent drummer, as this track confirms. While he takes care of everything, this composition also features a certain Proscriptor, who returns the favour with his ever so distinctive singing style, which, it has to be said, has a very nice effect. The format may be short, but there's nothing sloppy about it, either musically or visually, and the cover art is pretty good.
Ten minutes is pretty short, as I've been feverishly waiting for news from Zemial for a while now. The good thing is that it's a nice change of pace from the band's last offering, moving into much faster, harder-edged territory. Even if it is rather frustrating, after so many years of waiting, to have only ten minutes to sink our teeth into. Let's hope the wait won't be so long for the full-length version of To Slay With Silent Dagger, and maybe we'll get different versions of the tracks on here, as was the case for the tracks on Nykta, previously released on EPs. This release is obviously aimed at Zemial fans, if there are any left around here, but should be of some interest to black thrash metal fans, especially those who have been disappointed by some of the big names recently. Once again, Zemial clearly deserve more attention and I can't wait to see what they come up with on this long-awaited new album.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x6jqr_qSoE
