By this point, I’m sure my cynicism and disdain towards post-first wave black metal is well documented. I’ve even gone as far to say Darkthrone is the only band of the second wave that matters, but that’s simply not trve (See what I did there?). If we look outside of Norway, there was lots of exciting music being created within the 90s black metal scene. It just so happens that my aforementioned disdain stems from the wave of Mayhem clones who have dominated in the past decade. For that reason alone, reviews of pure black metal (not black/thrash or black/speed) albums on this site are about as rare as hen’s teeth. However, every now and then an exception will come along, like today’s album in review, Stormkeep’s Tales of Othertime.
Similar to last week’s 200 Stab Wounds album, the hype surrounding Tales of Othertime seemed to manifest overnight. One day everyone’s in ignorant, slamming, pseudo-beatdown death metal mode. The next they’re ready to cosplay as a frost demon or some other Lord of the Rings reject, just in time for the winter solstice. And I, being curious as ever, had to check this album out, if only for the hype alone. Upon further research, I learned that Stormkeep is the brainchild of one Mr. Otheyn Vermithrax, better known to the metal community as Blood Incantation drummer Isaac Faulk. No wonder everyone’s losing their shit over this! The question, does it live up to the hype?
Tales of Othertime opens with the compelling “The Seer”, and if you had told me this song came out in 1996, I would’ve believed it. Its intricate melodies and vast atmosphere conjures visions of an unholy marriage between Dissection and Summoning. This atmosphere is created by a combination of frostbitten riffs, lush keys, and textbook black metal vocals, while the incorporation of flashy leads add a melodic edge. As the album progressed, I couldn’t help but think some of these leads wouldn’t be out of place on a 90s power metal release à la Blind Guardian. Perhaps that’s key to its widespread appeal.
“The Citadel” and “An Ode to Dragons” serve as instrumental interludes, the former being a dungeon synth soundscape and the latter being a medieval flavored acoustic piece. Unlike so many instrumentals, both feel completely necessary and serve their purpose in fleshing out the bigger picture. “A Journey Through Storms” lives up to its name: An intense, evil blackened thrash assault in the vein of Absu, followed by a colossal array of gigantic riffs and dramatic synths/strings. “The Serpent’s Stone” contrasts majestic melodies and harsh blackness to maximum effect, while closer “Eternal Majesty Manifest” descends into pure chaos, a black metal battle hymn if I ever heard one.
For an album with so much going on, Tales of Othertime is surprisingly cohesive and impactful. It’s simultaneously atmospheric, melodic, symphonic, and progressive, yet without ever losing its sinister blackened fire. If it isn’t the best release of the year, it sure is one of the most dynamic and captivating, so much so that here I am reconsidering my entire position on the black metal genre…nah. All you Mayhem wannabes still suck. Stormkeep, on the other hand, does not.
9 out of 10
Label: Ván Records
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
For fans of: Sacramentum, Dissection, Summoning