Ever since I started this webzine, I’ve felt its secretly (or not so secretly if you’ve been following from day 1) doubled as a mission to uncover the most obscure, bizarre, and unorthodox black metal bands in the world. I’m talking about the types of band who embody the true black metal spirit without falling into those typecast tropes one would associate with black metal from the early ’90s onwards. Well folks, if Markgraf isn’t the most obscure, bizarre, and unorthodox black metal band I’ve reviewed to date, they sure are a contender.
Markgraf is a band I stumbled upon not via a self-promotion email or friend recommendation, but rather scouring through the annals of Bandcamp’s metal section. The cover art for their latest album, Hohenbaden, looked unique to say the least, as did the German song titles. Interestingly enough, Markgraf sings (or rather shrieks) predominantly in English, with only brief moments of German thrown in. That said, this reliance on western tongue doesn’t make their music any less exotic or unique. In fact, those are two adjectives that rather perfectly sums up their sound.
Hohenbaden opens with the raw blackened anciency of “Allerheiligen”. From a sonic standpoint, Markgraf borrows less from black metal’s infamous second wave and more from cult heroes Master’s Hammer, Root, and of course, Mercyful Fate. The riffs and melodies are cryptically arcane, disorienting the listener with a truly evil spirit. What’s most evident, however, are frontman Ódio’s banshee wails that are spot on to those of Cirith Ungol’s Tim Baker. Taking this and the epic gravity of the band’s compositions into consideration, you wouldn’t be wrong for labelling Markgraf “the black metal Cirith Ungol”. Things only get more confusing with a moshy interlude in “Baldreit” and the eerily catchy “Burg Windeck”, which lies somewhere between black ‘n’ roll and melodic black metal.
Hohenbaden‘s centerpiece is its 20+ minute title track, which can best be described as an epic black metal voyage through the unknown. The wild maneuvers and unpredictable twists and turns recall those of Manilla Road, Brocas Helm, and the aforementioned Cirith Ungol, yet executed within a black metal framework. The first half of the song is undoubtedly as blackened and chaotic as the band gets, battering the listener with hellish tremolo riffage and blinding blasts. Towards the latter half, Markgraf tones down the heaviness, emphasizing melody and atmosphere to add depth, before roundhouse kicking us one final time for the intro.
In an era defined by strictly sanctioned guidelines and labels, Markgraf defies convention with an album that’s too traditionally inclined for black metal purists and far too blackened for the traditional metal crowd who won’t bother with any band past ’89. As someone who greatly appreciates both genres, I can get behind Hohenbaden in all its esoteric glory. I just wouldn’t recommend it for the faint of heart or narrow of mind (even if yours truly occasionally falls in the latter category). Hey, good luck finding another online metal journalist who will admit it!
7 out of 10
Label: Blutrausch Productions
Genre: Black/Heavy Metal
For fans of: Cirith Ungol, Master’s Hammer, Root