CRAVEN IDOL - The Shackles Of Mammon
May 23, 2017, 6 years ago
(Dark Descent)
Oh, man: I absolutely love the opening track here, “Pyromancer” just racing out of the gates with a blackthrash attack like Nifelheim but with a manic, early-Brazilian bestial delivery. Approved. After that short burst, however, this London-based band spread their wings a bit with “A Ripping Strike”, which is over five minutes of more reasoned black metal, and although it's nowhere near as crazed as the opening track, it still has a powerful delivery and a great knack for smart songwriting: as the song moves ahead, its momentum picks up, a true war march.
“Black Flame Divination” brings a fun early speed metal vibe to things, although blitzkrieg black/thrash is still the order of the day here; “The Trudge” is a huge, expansive epic, as is closer “Tottering Cities Of Men”, both showing that this band has a bit more to them than the listener might initially think. “Dashed To Death” has a lot of things I love, including a fake ending, a frantic scissor beat, and a batshit-crazy guitar solo. Lots of variety here, really, Craven Idol putting together an album that ends up having a lot of personality due to the different sounds the band lays down.