Poccolus

The only full length by this Lithuanian band follows on from their excellent ‘Kingdom Of Poccolus’ demo. This self titled album originally saw limited release from a little known Korean label, Hammerheart in 1996, on a limited run of around 1000 copies. This then saw a re-issue courtesy of Supernal Music in 2006.

Whilst this Baltic state would be best known to metal listeners for Obtest, and perhaps Dissimulation, Poccolus are amongst the earliest practitioners of black metal in Lithuania. Their style is a pastoral take on the genre that exalts native traditions and legends, and like the best ‘pagan metal’, is able to put ethnic influences to good use and isn’t overdone. Rather, it compliments the dark and nightly atmosphere that the band set out to achieve.

‘Poccolus’ may bring to mind a comparison to ‘Dark Medieval Times’ by Satyricon, or perhaps in it’s slightly muddy production and guitar tone, an aesthetic similar to Enslaved’s ‘Yggdrasil’ demo or their ‘Hordanes Land’ EP, yet more mid-paced. It is unkempt, but amplifies a majestic warmth that is so typical of early to mid-90′s European black metal.

Synths give a sombre underscore to the guitar work, and arrangements are interspersed with passages of acoustic guitar and kankles, a zither-like instrument unique to Lithuania, of which the Finnish kantele is the most widely known variant. Listeners familiar with Amorphis and fellow Baltic cousins Skyforger would notice this immediately.Riffs, especially on longer songs contain an obvious doom influence, one that is appropriate with the black metal framework. In mood, one can hear the melancholia of the Dutch band Deinonychus, whilst the dynamics and arrangements are very similar to what can be heard on the first two albums by Empyrium.

If there’s anything of a weak point on here it’s the production of the vocals, which are a raw shriek but given an artificial sounding echo and reverb, that if curtailed would have made the voice more effective.

‘Poccolus’ remains an obscure gem and call to the wild. For those who’ve to come across this, a good idea would be to try and imagine the earthy debut by Drudkh with a more progressive sense of song structure, like an Agalloch stripped bare, devoid of the post-rock and shoegaze influences.

Dig this out if you can.

http://stenchofishtar.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/obscurities-poccolus-st/

Its unclear, to me, whether or not people know this band exists or not. Is there some sort of secret society where people go to worship the influence of this band on the Pagan scene? Or has this been shunted into obscurity only to be dragged out of the perpetual darkness, by those lucky few, to be heralded as the next obscure gem? There are so many questions surrounding this band that cannot be answered because, of course, they’re now a defunct entity, laid to rest within the ground and only occasionally does there tombstone grab the attention of a passer by. Perhaps, with more exposure, bands like this will once again surface and rise to the heights of global approval that they deserve. This band is probably one of the first bands within the metal scene to appear in Lithuania, a small country with a sparse interest in the trend. The movement of this genre is becoming easier to trace with the use of communication systems like the internet because it, obviously, provides us with the means of obtaining information about bands in the second wave of the black metal movement that has reached an all-time high in the modern era.

Whether the Scandinavian second wave drive had directly influenced Poccolus, I do not know. I could certainly hazard a guess and say that, yes, Poccolus were directly influenced by bands within the second wave because there is a definitive Burzum vibe about some of the instrumentation, from the guitars, to the vocals - which resemble Varg’s in the early days of Burzum’s career - to the atmosphere. Considering the fact that this band were created in 1993 and this full-length, the only full-length by the band, was released in 1996, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine that it is just a coincidence that this band and Burzum have a similar sound just by chance, rather than one copying the other because the timeline obscure our judgment on such things. Take songs like ‘Begeyte Peccolle’ for example of that infamous Burzum sound. The song wanders into dense atmospheres, where guitars lead the way of the weary soul of the listener. After the song has finished with its fierce opening, it settles down into this majestic rhythm, led simultaneously by the evil sounding bass, which rumbles beneath the scratchy surface and then the guitars change the tempo and the mood, as they so often do, with a typically Burzum lead (oddly enough, it also resembles a typical Darkthrone song from ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’).

Hopefully, I have established that Poccolus are no ordinary force within the black metal field. With their emphasis on bass, and symphonic atmospherics given the influence of the keyboards, the band are set for stardom with the right amount of exposure in today’s world. Given the obscure nature of the country of Lithuania, too, there is a definite case for anyone who wishes to argue the possibility that Poccolus might have created this innovative sound by themselves, without any outside influence from bands like Burzum. It some ways its unfortunate that the band aren’t still around to say exactly what influenced them and, of course, its unfortunate that they won’t be recording any more records for the listening pleasure of people like myself but, on the other hand, it’s a positive that they’re not around anymore because it means the band can obtain their “legendary” status without any debate because there are no other full-lengths to discuss. There is a mystery, a romanticism about this self-titled debut that gives it a charm that isn’t often associated with the second wave movement, which was aggressive and hateful in its revolutionary path.

I definitely feel that this one record does the band justice and that, in many ways, there is no need for a follow-up. So many times bands have tarnished their careers by following up on a masterful debut with a lacklustre sophomore effort. One band immediately springs to mind as I discovered them at the same time I discovered the allusive Poccolus - Iceland’s Potentiam, who also would have received many “legendary” status if they had stuck to their debut, as opposed to releasing a follow-up which, wasn’t terrible by any means, but it wasn’t on the same level, or to the same standard that the debut had set the band. Its strange how I managed to come across these two bands at precisely the same time because, in some small ways, their music is similar to one another - expansive, experimental and contains a certain class that most bands within this era wanted to lack, therefore, in comparison, it shines where there is mostly darkness. Although the main consideration of inspiration seems to be the iconic music from Burzum, which defined an era within the black metal industry, there is also a slight feel of Summoning’s so-called epic soundscapes, which often resorts to keyboards that draw out a subtle symphonic touch that contrasts the obvious aggression that litters the records atmosphere like it were the dirty streets of London town.

I suppose it’s a cliché to suggest that this self-titled piece is “ahead of its time”, but that does seem to be the case, no matter which area of the music we’re judging. For example, the production. It isn’t crystal clear, but it is nowhere near as dirty as one would expect to find in this time period. The level of experimentation also provides a basis for the claim that this record is ahead of its time because it switches between possible influences, back-and-forth, and then continues with its own themes of enlightenment through the mesmerising and majestic keyboards that make the listener, who is used to these types of sounds from bands like Nokturnal Mortum and Summoning, reflect nostalgically over the instrumentation. The experimentation isn’t limited to the production, but takes a firm grip on the vocals, which can be clean at times (enter ‘Pakol Dega Lauzai’) and there are even acoustics situated next to traditional black metal styling like the double bass drums, tremolo guitars and rasped vocals of anguish (once again, see ‘Pakol Dega Lauzai’). Though the record does tend to fizzle out towards the end, with shorter songs becoming the norm, it maintains a level of consistency that is high enough to warrant positive feedback. Perhaps Poccolus have been forgotten amidst the Scandinavia stronghold on the second wave, but they’re by no means inaccessible in today’s black metal world which is dominated by a distinctive focus on experimenting.

About a month back I was searching for something on e-mule (my eternal source of metal) and the name Poccolus popped up, so I downloaded it to see if it would be any good. Great god of all that is black! This is some of the best black metal I have ever heard--EVER. The thing that strikes me odd is that they are so unknown even though they've been playing so long and play so well. I thought they were a new group when I found them but later saw that this album is from 1996... The production isn't the usual black metal production from that time period; it's good quality with clearly distinguished drums (which I think are programmed, not sure) but still raw sounding.

The first track kicks in with some mid-tempo black metal with some very nice guitar riffs (some of which sound Burzum-ish) and keys that come in afterwards. The sound doesn't vary in style much throughout all of the songs in the album but doesn't sound all like one song or anything as each one is well-crafted with awesome riffs. Keys are present in most of the music, with mostly simple string melodies that sound kinda medieval, which fits perfect with the rest somehow. The voice is....well interesting, kinda like screams of pain somewhere along the lines of Bethlehem but not as extreme. There are also clear vocals in some songs, sort of a chanting voice like the clear voice in Nokturnal Mortum. As I said in the title, it sounds like My Dying Bride style guitarwork but in a crude black metal style; something you don't hear too often. The guitar harmonies are great and if the music wasn't so melancholic sounding I would almost say they sound pleasant but being that the sound is melancholic as hell I'd say they sound melodic. There are some acoustic passages throughout the songs which also sound tragically good. The drums are mostly simple beats, not much double bass but nicely recorded and fitting for the type of music. There are lots of ambient passages throughout the album, with keyboard sounds, voices and some tribal drumming, which creates a true ancient pagan feel to the album.

I can't really find anything I dislike about Poccolus' sound, it's original, complex, melancholic and very head-bangable. Apparently these guys are the first black metal band to come out of Lithuania and for that I have to say that Lithuania has a fucking awesome future ahead of it because Poccolus is one hell of a fine black metal act.