I’m sure my attempts at humor in my recent raw black metal reviews has probably resulted in Obscure Abhorrence Records, and perhaps some of the bands on that label in essentially hating my guts. I’ll take a guess that my particular reviewing style is probably something they’re not used too, and that some of the more elite bands may not like the idea of a few average extreme music fans enjoying isolationist black metal.
The album “Propagation Of Chaos” is a strange instance where some of the typical raw black metal standards hold the album back from achieving something special. The lack of bass, the noise covering up the guitars, the slightly out of time playing at some points, to the slightly garbled vocals all work against INHUMAN HATE on this release. Why am I so hung up on these elements when the very same black metal standbys seem to add to some recordings? It’s due to the level of songwiritng presented on “Propagation Of Chaos”, which suggests the band could work themselves to something bigger if they wanted too.
The generally slower songs have a very depressing feel, and somehow, some of the same black metal playing styles you know and you’re familiar with really sink their teeth in and hang on. The song “Heerscharen Aus Der Unterwelt Empor” quite often moves between standard tremolo picked fare and clean guitar arpeggios. Those very same clean passages would be so wonderful if only they were played in time. “Bloodstorm” gets into some great 80’s thrash riffing that buzzes like a circular saw with pedal tones and all. Damn, that riff just jumps out to take a bite! Right after that thrash riff, the band tries playing a speedily picked melody that would be great, if only, again, it was played in time. Digging under all the reverb, and perhaps a little bit of distorting from the recording process, you can hear that the vocalist seems to have a powerful growl, something that would come straight from the old-school of European death metal.
“Propagation Of Chaos” is an instance where the ambition from the songwriting doesn’t match the level of skill the musicians in INHUMAN HATE have, which is certainly a forgivable trait. I really feel like this band could make it somewhere as long as they don’t get caught under the whole elite black metal persona.
7/10
