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Lashblood > Philosophy of Self-Flagellation: Being and Nothing > Reviews
Lashblood - Philosophy of Self-Flagellation: Being and Nothing

Amazing Debut - 80%

lordazmolozmodial, September 14th, 2012

One of the most important successful element while creating an avant-garde black metal album is the complexity and the tightness of the performance, but unfortunately a lot of bands fail to make the total sound rough and complicated due to the lack of experience, but today the Russian band Lashblood is presenting a very successful avant-grade black metal debut album for all the fans of this sophisticated genre.

The long title of the debut album "Philosophy of Self-Flagellation: Being and Nothing" and the short title of the tracks were the first things that caught my attention while giving the CD my first listen. The old school black metal production made the sound of the instruments more tough and brutal more than the current modern black metal production that always ruins the essence of the black metal genre. The band has managed to use many instruments to create an avant-grade atmosphere in the structure of the tracks, such as the using of the Saxophone that has been recently used by most of the avant-grade metal bands to create an eerie atmosphere in the tough chemical texture of the tracks.

The band has managed to create only five tracks for this debut album, most of the songs run for more than 5 minutes and the lat track runs for more than 15 minutes. This record has started its avant-grade trip with the tracks "Lash" and the track "Notes on Water", these two tracks reflected the experienced side of the band and the using of the clean and the crispy vocal techniques within the tracks. The shortest track in the album is "Nausea", and to be honest this song reminds me somehow of the Norwegian black metal band "Satyricon", especially the fast drumming environment and the rapid riffing that floats behind the crispy black metal vocals. The tracks "Gospel of Death" and "Echo of the Void" are the longest tracks in this record, the elements that have been written and recorded inside these tracks are significant and memorable, the tune of the guitars and the skilled drumming of these tracks have the ability to charm any black metal listener.

Overall, this debut album is really promising though its not perfect, the melodies of the piano and the saxophone that have been performed in this record are excellent and I really recommend this album to all the avant-grade black metal around the world, not only for the Russian fans. This album is also recommended for the strict black metal fans, because the avant-grade touch in this record didn't ruin the black metal essence like most of the avant-grade black metal albums nowadays.

Originally written for:
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