Cauldron

Again, this review presents another band from an exotic land. The Tasmanian group 'Ruins' plays black metal in modern style. By the word 'modern' I do not mean neither industrial tones nor choirs, only the soundscape is a bit similar to the recent „new-wave” black metal style. To describe that just imagine a mixture of Satyricon from the „Rebel”-era and the newer Gorgoroth works with some Immortal-feeling. And they do it well, so it was quite obvious that they will be the warm-up band with both Satyricon and Immortal (not to mention Celtic Frost) on their Australian tour.

According to these facts Ruins can be described as a promising band but the difference between them and the similar newcomers lies in two things. Firstly, they have already released a highly appreciated full-length, a really well-made one in my opinion. The other thing is that despite their outlying location this production is first class both with its songwriting and its sound – only the volume of the vocal is a bit low, but that's the only downside. The whole album is a precise work, the rate and the amount of the fast and slow parts are perfect and the amosphere is dark and gloomy, sometimes it reminds me of some of the great black metal bands. The musicians did here a very good job as well. Of course, I do not say that every guitar riff can be rated maximum but each song contains really catchy and outstanding parts and these things make the overall image impressive. The highlight of the album is the track 'Suicidal Pulse' but I also really liked the atmosphere of the opener 'Where Time is Left Behind'. Some of the tracks remind me of contemporary/modern black metal acts – including the mentioned ones above – but the most obvious influence is Satyricon's. At first sight I thought that the label sent me a picture of the Norwegian duo with the promotional pack because their style, image and line-up is almost the same.

Ruins is a yet unknown band because they work far from the flux of the European and American metal life but they can make up leeway in no time with tours and good promotion. It is highly recommended for those Satyricon-fans who think that the Norwegian group lost his path around the Volcano-era and who want to hear this kind of modern black metal. The style of Ruins cannot fully substitute the mentioned genre but they are on the path and I think, they could get to the top with their next releases. Until then, the black metal lovers should watch this band because I wouldn't be surprised if they become a great band in the next few years.

( Originally written for: http://kronosmortus.hu )

This is the new Ruins album, nominally a Black Metal unit from Hobart Tasmania, who have paved a path for themselves that strays past the majority of the local BM underground. For this as well as the general uneasiness with which the Black and Death Metal scenes eye each other, I think their work has been panned by the Black Metallers, myself including. And whilst previous efforts had some moments of a questionable quality, which may have justified a dismissal, I must admit that listening to them now, I cannot wholeheartedly do so as that would be an unfair manner in which to treat on this artist’s, as a whole, compelling work.
Firstly, the Black Metal generalization is inaccurate. Undeniably, BM is the basis, but there are too many elements here that originate in jazz or rock to label this band purely a BM one and so misrepresent what they are trying to do here. Secondly the album sounds much more solid due to Ruins having finally located a formula for reconciling the showy drums and the weird guitars, with neither struggling for attention at the forefront and instead taking their own place in the mix.

There is an odd strumming/picking technique that is used in conjunction with some of the drifting song structuring on Cauldron, and I cannot say I have heard it elsewhere. It was present on previous works and whilst it immediately distinguished the band from contemporaries, I think at times it was overdone. This album employs just enough of it to make the songs sound strangely atmospheric with obscure structures propelling the pieces through climax to completion. There is also very pleasing use of downstroke guitar and linear (as opposed to syncopated) rhythmic patterns that remind me of Darkthrone and in conjunction with the groaned vocals – new Celtic Frost. In parts this is a very rocky album and will provide you with some headbanging pleasure when done live.

The lyrics still annoy me a bit. The style is sparse and allegorical, but this usually results in their meaning being too close to meaninglessness, although there is some interesting correlation of Egyptian and Sumerian mythology to the Bible as well as just stark poetic passages that contribute to the overall detached and gloomy atmosphere on this album.

I think that in terms of purism, this works shines not, but having forgotten about that and Celtic Frost, one can find a lot to enjoy here. I recommend it to fans of modern Black Metal.

Originally published in Procession of Black Doom zine #2