Resurgence II: Where the Dying Meet the Dead

Of late I've been trying to delve deeper into the obscure reaches of atmospheric black metal - that is to say, real atmospheric black metal, not the post-rock pap that critics have been trying to shove down our throats ever since Deafheaven broke out of containment. This journey has led me back to a CD I've owned for close to ten years but only listened to a handful of times. As a teenager getting into black metal, its low production values were a taste I had not yet acquired; as a younger man developing an affinity for the blast-beat-and-trem-riff style I prefer in the genre, its more moderate tempos and extended ambient passages failed to capture the fire I sought.

But something about Resurgence II compelled me to keep it in my collection, seemingly despite myself, and as I age and my tastes grow more refined, the same factors that once turned me off have become the facets that I most enjoy about the disc.

Certainly the production is appealing; the clipping vocal mic and amateurish production (the sharp, graceless cuts, the near absence of cymbals in the mix, the bass guitar that bobs and weaves in and out of audibility) indicate the work of an artist insistent upon his craft and motivated to complete his work despite the limitations of his equipment and proficiency as a musician.

But of course, this amateurishness can only work to an album's benefit when the songs are actually good. If these were less engaging riffs and melodies I would almost surely assail the album for the same factors for which I now praise it. And while I won't claim to enjoy every choice made here (the limp intro of "Obsequium Funeris," for instance) I generally do enjoy the composition quite a bit. I have a soft spot for an "evil" riff played in single notes - when done well, I think it can be one of the most effective sounds in the genre, and Vrolok does it well on several tracks here. Coupled with the Beherit- or Mutiilation-esque digitally processed vocals, it is a successful suggestion of the experimental sound of late 90s black metal - "anything goes as long as it sounds unearthly and Satanic."

Unfortunately these single-note riffs fail as often as they succeed, even in the same song. There are several points in the album, actually, where the guitars sound as though they're being improvised. The melodies, at times quite potent, will suddenly fail to find a satisfying arc while D / Diabolous noodles aimlessly across the first three degrees of a minor scale. Couple this with some soft, wimpy "moaned" vocals (think Rozz Williams without the conviction) and drum beats that, outside of the double-kick, generally go no further than a pub band's backbeat, and it doesn't take much for these songs to fall apart.

It's tough - what I like about this album is also what I don't. I'm satisfied when the tracks sound just inches from falling apart, dissatisfied when they do fall apart; I'm engaged when the music is at its most rudimentary, but taken out of the atmosphere when something seems too plain. For this reason, I appreciate the acoustic track "Nightfall" - its dirgelike pace and three-note vocal melody are well and good, but the ambient soundscape behind the guitar and voice find D doing what he does best. It's simple but not bland, rough-around-the-edges but not missing anything. It serves as a good interlude also, as album closer "Sleeping Close to Death" feels all the more exciting after a few minutes of complete calm.

That closing track benefits from some of the fastest drumbeats on the album too, not to mention the guitar work - it's perhaps the most straightforward black metal song on the album, but its hyper-processed vocals and long slow sections keep it grounded among the rest of Resurgence II. It is surely the only song on the album that could earn the ostentatious outro, all Gothic church organ and vampyric screeching, and I'm glad that it does - for all the missteps on this album, all the failures and infelicities, there is still something worthy at the heart here. In another ten years, I'm sure I'll say again that I've only listened to this album rarely, but I am just as sure that it will have kept its spot on my shelf.

Vrolok was never a project that sparked too much interest from me outside of when I first discovered its existence. I bought this CD at a local record store near my home town in Richmond, Virginia called Plan 9 Music about six years ago now? Maybe? I can't recollect exactly when this happened but I remember being drawn to the cover art and logo. My 16 year old self thought this was dark and evil looking, and definitely appeared to be a black metal album, so I naturally had to have it. Since then, I've listened to it probably about four or five times front to back but haven't indulged in any other recordings from Vrolok. I do often enjoy finding these obscure one-man black metal projects because I think a lot of them have a special value and charm to them and Vrolok is certainly one of them but this album, while fairly well done and effective musically, hasn't led me into the realm of curiosity surrounding the idea of tracking any of this project's other works down.

It becomes apparent right away that this album was meant to be bleak and raw as any other obscure black metal album. The guitar tone of this album is very muddy and murky as one can expect from a record such as this but they still contribute to the atmosphere in a more or less positive way. They do sound a bit too swampy at times and can make one feel like they are stuck in a muddy ford unable to move but this is not too big an issue for me. Acoustic guitars make appearances here and there such as in the acoustic-led "Nightfall" and they sound fairly beautiful. This isn't the only non-metal track on the album and there are two others being the album's intro "Roaming the Abyss" and the placeholder that is "Vampiir Reawakening". Though, this is my favorite non-metal number and features clean vocals from a man by the name of Jeremy Christner, who is featured in a doom metal band called Great American Desert. Another prime example of acoustic guitar implementation would be in the introduction of "Within the Master's Chambers". So yes this album contains beauty but most of it is ugly, grim, and disgusting. "...And Shadows Descend" is one of the finest moments on the album for me featuring very melodic albeit messy riffwork and some of the most hateful vocals here. Actually overall, the vocal work here is pretty good and absolutely horrifying, and extremely ugly in a good way. Exactly how black metal vocals should be executed.

Production wise, aside from the guitars as previously stated, this thing is just raw and gritty throughout. For the most part, the drums are fairly hidden lower in the mix but are still audible and it's extremely obvious that Diabolus, the man behind all of the instrumentation to this project, utilized programmed drums while recording this album. Those who know me know that I don't usually condemn bands for using drum machines and when done well, this doesn't detract too much, if at all, from the music and overall atmosphere. However, here, it does fault the album's sound a bit. Especially in "...And Shadows Descend" which I've already stated to be one of the album's highlights. It is unfortunate when I hear a song that otherwise musically is top notch and well-written, only to be distracted by an obvious production issue and non-organic instruments. This is the biggest problem I have with the album's overall sound and while it is still effective, it could have been so much better with either real drums or a better sound from the drum machine.

When it boils down to it, Vrolok was a fairly capable band if I'm just going to judge his music off of this album alone. It may seem silly only listening to the second installment of a trilogy that doesn't even make up Vrolok's entire discography but after this, I feel at least content with knowing about Vrolok's former existence and musical objectives. This is definitely a fair black metal album but it could really use a remaster with a better drum sound.

If there was soundtrack for the event of a terminally-ill person waiting to die on their death bed, I think something like Resurgence II would fit the bill. It really does capture of what feels like the bleak path between the state of dying and the transition towards death. Vrolok has used the correct ingredients to make a haunting, fearsome, and mysterious environment that portrays what death might be like and the album progresses smoothly by building well into that concept.

Much of the album feels like some story told from the perspective of a terminally ill person in their last stages of life. Roaming the Abyss kicks the album off with a short, but forgettable ambient track, but the real album starts with Within the Master's Chambers. The introduction of this song makes me want to picture a medieval environment, where victims of the plague are all rounded up inside a church or monastery waiting to die. The accoustics in the beginning create a peaceful atmosphere, but this is quickly over when the ugly sounding vocals chime in along with the cloudy riffs to create a world that is indeed grey (yes I stole that from lyrics from the song). The ending of the song has similar notes to the beginning, but this time, the guitars have a more out of tune sound to contribute to the sickness. Within the Master's Chambers represents the thought process of "Am I dying? What's going on here?" - the general confusion of what's going on.

Obsequium Funeris also starts in a very calm manner, featuring a few minutes of quiet accoustic guitars and bass with very light drumming. Then the song makes a complete 180 and turns into some very hateful black metal. Diabolous' vocals sound tortured, angry, and full of malediction. Another interesting aspect is how the vocals are backed - this makes Diabolous sound a lot less human. The riffs are simple but with the way the production is, they have a very lingering taste to them. It's almost like a beam of noise that makes a very abrasive sound. It fits though and makes the music a lot more memorable. Obsequium Funeris represents angry feelings of regret and remorse, the misery of not doing what you wanted to do before dying.

...And the Shadows Descend represents the chaos of the minutes before dying; one last fight to stay alive before succumbing to the inevitable. Of the four metal tracks on this album, this one stands out the least, but still plays an integral role in the "story." Sleeping Close To Death symbolizes acceptance of death itself. Like the other tracks, it has a tranquil beginning, but this time has some minor chanting the background. The ending contains an organ that sets the scene for a funeral kind of setting. The name of the track is very fitting as well as the album title.

Most of the ambient tracks aren't too memorable, but they do serve as nice breaks between the metal. There is another track called "Nightfall" which only contains clean vocals, accoustic guitars, and nocturnal ambient noises, that I really thought was fitting. It's a very melancholic track and the instruments are congruent with each other.

Overall, Resurgences II is an interesting album for anyone who wants to use their imagination while listening. I've seen some people consider Vrolok to be a Xasthur clone. That cannot be further from the truth, as Vrolok is a lot more livlier and aims to find a more specific atmosphere. Reasons like those are why Vrolok will continue to stand out for more years.

Bleak would be the best word describe this album, the second installment in the Resurgence trilogy by Vrolok. Resurgence II is quite the departure from the previous and much more violent effort. Where as the first full length was quite violent and emitted hate in an extroversive manner, this sounds to be directing the hate in a much more introversive way. Obscure, self destructive, and dreary, this album would be lumped into the whole "suicidal black metal" category. However dont let that cause you to pass judgement as this is no mere Xasthur clone or ripoff of Filosofem era Burzum. This album is truly unique.

The guitar tone is muddied and sounds processed, but in a good way. The bass lines were the highlight of this album for me. The tone of the bass is great and the lines can be heard clearly in nearly every portion of the album. The bass work is not complex by a long shot, but certainly affective and depressing. For a good example listen to the third track "Obsequium Funeris", the begining of the song is driven by the bassline. As far as drums go, I am fairly sure they are programmed, but that was never a problem for me. The beats are midpaced for the most part and act as a perfect backdrop to the music. The part which surprised me the most was the lyrical content. Typically I am not impressed by black metal lyrics, but this man seems to have a certain degree of culture and intelligence which many lyricists within the black metal genre lack direly.

The only thing which I have a problem with is that it is too short, I would have loved for this album to have been 20 minutes longer. I just am left felt wanting a bit more after it is done playing. Overall, this album is a very good listen and comes highly recommended from me. A big improvement from the previous effort and I much look forward to hearing Soul Amputation and any other albums he may put out in the future.

Vrolok are a progression within a black metal scene that is constantly moving towards violence, blast-beat nihilism and utter pointlessness all at the same time. They are melodic, understated and almost gentle in their approach to thier work in a manner that recalls the feeling (but not the sonics) of some of the later Burzum work. While the production is a little soft (could have been a tad bit clearer) the overall mood is bleak, despairing and empty. Vrolok has woven a spell of thought, that takes one away from the constant thrashing and puts him sqaurely in a place where he has to challenge his own mind.

The most important tracks on this release are "Sleeping Close to Death" (a classic waiting to be recognized) and "Within the Masters Chambers". The overall moody nature, the relaxing interludes and the deadened mood aren't easy upon the first few listens as this is not meant to be "rockin'" black metal. This also avoids the typical "we can't write so we'll attack" violence of many other bands as well. Vrolok draw you in, teach you that your life means nothing and lulls you into the sleep of death. This is truly an ARTISTIC triumph if anything...it also challenges the cliches that have commonly come into play when describing black metal to the common listener.

Vrolok haven't perfected their craft yet...but they are already paving new ground with their acoustic elements, skilled vocals and new atmospheres. For once in a rare time (Rehtaf Ruo also must be mentioned) I am looking forward to the next release by a black metal band. Vrolok have the skill, the mood, the lyrical prowess and the vibe to push this genre back to where it belongs in terms of mood and musical skill.

I await the next CD with baited breath....

BUY OR DIE.

http://www.alphadraconisrecords.org