STINY PLAMENU - Mrtva Komora

\r\n     Stiny Plamenu (= Shadows of the Flame) comes from Plzen, Czech Republic. SP are not inexperienced (1998); the so not sonorant Mrtva Komora is their fifth full – length release to date. Having been established in the local underground scene, the question is whether they will conquer other scenes too.
\r\n     SP are black metal. Truth be told though : their black metal is raw, aggressive, yet modern and quite sturdy, meaning  the sound/ production is explicitly more thoroughly done, thus, this may result in repelling the most “hardcore” of fans. It would be profoundly wrong if this synchronous approach would drive one off though. Naturally, this problem is brought up because: Mrtva Komora would definitely not sound as a 2009 album, if the production was raw and eerie. As a result, this release is differentiated from the average raw black metal release, in terms of aesthetics.
\r\n     Musically/ technically this is a riff – focused album. The riffing – fundament of Mrtva KomoraI is fast (alternate picking - based, naturally.), the mid – tempo parts only seldomly pop up, (Lord Egon is on guitars); simultaneously, the riffing is melodic (e.g. Zar Stoky v Plamenech), while rarely disharmonic (e.g. Pod Tihou Tmy ‘s intro). The approach on the album’s riffology is often black / thrash (e.g. Uhlavsky Kanalizacni Sberac). Lord Morbivod ’s vocals feature a peculiarity: one just extracts not the traditional black metal aesthetics. In any case, the double vocal lines are an effective addition. Same Lord on the bass, which offers sound largeness. The bass lines however are indifferent (actually identical to the guitar ones). The drumming (Lord Sheafraihd) is in no case bad (both in terms of sound and performance), it is predictable though.
\r\n     The following are worth noting: both the formation and the composing process itself were/ are inspired by the sewers (yup, sewers). Specifically, Plzen ‘s sewerage. As to my understanding, inspiration is the very existence of the sewerage beneath the city of Plzen, the being of a (slightly different) city under the main one. Lord Morbivod often paid visits to the sewers, whose aesthetics connected to the ones of black metal. Mrtva Komora ‘s artwork is plainly, relevantly inspired. Lastly, SP insistently describe this otherworldly environment, something that has ended in forming conceptual stories about the sewers along with fictional characters, inextricably affiliated with the life in sewerage. This conjuction between the  “bestial” and raw black metal of theirs with the above mentioned fiction has resulted in them naming their music as “waterwaste black metal”.
\r\n      However, Mrtva Komora is weak in terms of ideas. The truth is, the “forward button” seems quite charming and sexy. A predictable effort, when one feels like having explored the band with one listening, when even half a listening is sufficient to get to know SP. Mrtva Komora is shallow. Clearly, it is not bad, it is mediocre, the least. Perhaps some will not have a hard time liking it, however, SP seem not to pursue (and thus to achieve) art, this artistic approach that is often present when it comes to black metal.\r\n

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