Posthum - Lights Out

Posted on Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Depressive Black Metal… the Norwegian way. That’s what I’m talking about! Bring that shit! This trio’s sophomore effort is a hypnotic, multi-dimensional beast that undoubtedly belongs in the mix for Black Metal album of the year discussion. If anything prevents Lights Out from attaining the top spot, it’s most likely meandering leadoff cut “Untame,” which feels more like an intro/soundcheck than a song. Seven minutes of pre-game stretching is not the entrance this LP deserves, even if it does briefly hint at the melancholic genius in store. Much better to begin with track #2, the suicidal gem “Leave It All to Burn,” as it and the next four songs to follow comprise the broken heart and soul of this grim masterpiece. “Scarecrow” wanders even deeper into the bitter void of SDBM territory, but Posthum are not some one-dimensional, one-man project recorded on Pro-Tools in a dorm room. Their sound is full, their performance is tight, and the overall presentation is thoroughly professional. The production is immaculate yet organic, letting the sorrowful melodies breathe, allowing each instrument to permeate clearly, and capturing the dejected rage of Jon Kristian Skare’s serrated rasp perfectly. His tortured voice is what takes the record next-level. Imagine the guy from Enslaved, but with talent. The haunting “Red” transitions from frostbitten blasting to a regal Katatonia/October Tide stomp with reserved elegance, while “Resiliant” dabbles in the fist-pumping Black ‘n’ Roll pomp of present-day Satyricon. The trance-inducing “Absence” begins with an unassuming hook that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Thursday album before settling in to a rhythmic hypnosis fueled by Burzumesque double-bass patterns. Finally, the chilling, piano-aided instrumental “Afterglow” gives way to the closing title track, which bids its somber farewell by ending in 90 seconds of wistful Blackened Shoegaze. Posthum convincingly blend their native homeland’s traditional Svart roots with the more personal and more passionate approach of today’s Post-BM elite into a unique style all their own. This is Norwegian Black Metal all grown up.

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