Lightning Storm in the Veins...

This is apparently a black metal album, which I find interesting because it reminds me more of crappy modern rock than Darkthrone or anything similar. Harvist generally reminds me of A Gruesome Find, which is not a good thing- melodic black/death stuff with an overly rocking, restrained feel. 'Lightning Storm In The Veins...' is a sort of minor third-string USBM classic, which amazes me because I don't think there's a single moment on this CD that actually interests me in any way. It's just a dumb album with no creativity or passion behind it.

Most of the riffs on this album are the discarded remnants of Gothenburg- riffs too boring for Dark Tranquillity or At The Gates go to Harvist, and the US edge on those riffs makes this sound a lot like modern metalcore from time to time- throw in some breakdowns and shouty vocals and this wouldn't be at odds with most shows which involve hardcore dancing as a necessary element. The sporadic, untrained-sounding clean vocals don't help the matter. Funny enough, Harvist is much better when doing pseudo melodeath/metalcore than when they're attempting to do black metal; those portions sound like half-assed Dissection worship, only without the subtle grasp of melody and infectious riffs of that band.

The production is mediocre, as is the songwriting, with both being too thin and rushed to make the listener appreciate anything. There's a distinct lack of depth on this album that really torpedoes it from the start; all the riffs are derived from other, better sources and the song structures are random and haphazard with regard to tempo and key changes- what's up with the borderline brutal death passages on 'The Dawn Will Begin Again', for instance? The listener doesn't know, but the secret is that the band doesn't either; they just kind of string together sections and hope that it will come together into a whole. There's clearly some ambition on this album with the long song structures and the mildly technical instrumental performances, but it doesn't really add up to anything in the end.

This is entirely skippable and not really recommended for anyone who's a grown-up.

Powerful, blasting, sinister and frequently symphonic , diverse and eclectic, this cd is split between two previous line ups of the now one man band project Harvist. The first is largely in the old school vein of early Dark Funeral and the Norwegian scene, the second is the more post modern and commercial second line up, whose material is strongly in the vein of Katonia and modern power metal.
I much prefer the satanic black metal attack of the first five tracks, including the punk influenced “Harvester’s Hymn” over the melodic neo power metal of this cd’s second half . The first line up’s singer upon the cd, actually the bands second official line up, Church Burner vocally is strongly in the vein of Caligula of Dark Funeral and the music follows a similar pattern . Fans of Dark Funeral and melodic black metal will find a great deal to enjoy. The three man line up stretch the traditional grim black metal sound of Harvist’s debut “ A Gleam In The Night” to its limits while adding color and flair to the mix.
The second half of the cd substitutes the raw, grim, yet melodic black metal of the first five tracks for something far more mainstream but still enjoyable. Epic guitars cascade over traditional operatic metal vocals , forming something not remotely black metal but filled with vivid sound and color, stretching the Harvist sound into realms so far unknown. Heavy as hell but not remotely black metal , this line up saw Harvist at there most diverse and experimental , though not necessarily there best. Still rather quality indeed. Irregardless of which selection of songs you prefer this is an essential release that shows not only were Dusk came from but were he’s headed as well.

Harvist's second full length album is an amazing work. It retains the raw feel from A Gleam in the Night, but benefits from a much cleaner production. Like Gleam, it alternates harsh Black Metal with more subdued melody, and should be viewed as a classic of underground American Metal.

The album is short, with only five songs included, but all five are amazingly well written and performed. Daybreak on Darkview opens the CD, with a short instrumental at the beginning floowed by raw Black Metal. Forest Dreaming in my Discontent speeds up the music, but continues with Dusk's raw vocals. A Harvester's Hymn represents a departure in style and form, lightening the speed and aggression. The lyrics are touching and soft, as opposed to the often angry themes on the other songs. Defy returns to the harsh mood of the album, and Troll's Bane concludes it on a very positive note. After Troll's Bane, there's an experimental 4 minute section called Water in the Lungs which simply takes you breath away after the aggression of the two preceding songs.

Harvist included the material off their EP Turmoil of the Seed afterward the five songs on Lightning as bonus tracks. These songs continue the raw feel of Lightning, but show a good deal of diversity ranging from the very heavy title track to the melancholy Hollowed from Within. All in all, the last four songs are a welcome addition to the album.

Overall, Lightning Storm in the Veins is a great album. Harvist represents the elite of the USBM scene, and their entire discography including their next album, Wolfskin Clad, should be a welcome addition to any Black Metal library.