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Merrimack > Obsecrations to the Horned > Reviews
Merrimack - Obsecrations to the Horned

Interesting... - 75%

Snxke, January 21st, 2005

Merrimack are one of the more dramatic bands in the raw black metal underground. While relatively unknown in the larger black metal community, they have carved a niche with those that enjoy ritual music and those that enjoy the rather shrill vocals that seem to dominate many Moribund releases. I find this compilation to be a rather interesting affair with strong songs, great atmospheres and occassionally annoying vocals. The band know how to mix and produce their affairs, they obviously know how to write songs and their is little that is muddy or sloppy about what they do. If anything, I'd say these guys were a great little cult item with a singer you're either going to love or you're going to hate.

Tracks such as "Asgard, Kingdom of the Northern Gods", "Running From the Dark" and "Maleus Maleficurum" from the "Act I" demo work well to show the artistic vision of Merrimack. (The instrumental bits are also quite impressive and atmospheric compared to most bands.) The oozing "Farewell to my Land" from a split recording works wonders in terms of slithering evil and tonality. One must also point to "Live the Lie" off the third and last section (from the wonderfully titled "Horns Defeat Thorns" demo) is also a great song that brings forth a rather diabolical mood. The band is rather weak on the "blasting" numbers and find themselves with the slower music that allows them to explore moods that seem more like ritual pieces than same-old, same-old black metal.

Merrimack are certainly worthy of their cult following and I enjoyed this release in many places. While they are hardly a perfect presentation of what black metal is all about, they certainly deserve some praise for bringing force some new sounds and moods to the genre. If the vocals had varied a little more, I might have a tiny bit more praise...but despite...I praise this as being something most people into strange black metal oddities should check out.