Italy has a pretty modest, but ever-growing black metal underground scene...and today's band Husk is one of those "up and coming" local projects that deserves more attention. This extreme metal act run by just one individual calling themself "Summoner", while only having been around for about half a year, has already acquired a record label (namely Death Kvlt Productions) and released an EP not too long ago, which showcases the talents of this project.¹
This debut EP titled Fangs consists of a subtle, yet heavy and dark seventeen minutes of black metal and kvlt musical content. The release is comprised of only three tracks (four if you happen to purchase the cassette), each being five to six minutes in length, and demonstrates the versatility of just one person. The themes revolve around being trapped in recurring nightmares and plagued in darkness²; and the music backs up this message through its raw and deep black metal ambiance, aesthetics and overall aura. Some other elements are also present at some points, but the EP overall gravitates towards a more kvlt feel.
Since this is a shorter release, I will go through and briefly discuss all three of the available tracks and give a general overview.
Night Hunt: This first song happens to be my favourite of the three. It starts off with some droning wall of noise accompanied by a bit of rather catchy tremolo picking as well as the usual blast-beat drumming. The instrumental tones and atmosphere is pretty convincing from the opening. It doesn't take too long for the vocals to come in, which are a traditional black metal sound, albeit with slight hints of death metal undertone. This madness goes on for quite a bit until the composition stops abruptly about halfway through and the track goes into a more melodic and sombre instrumental section. The second half of the song is some high guitar notes with background drumming patterns that pick up towards the end. When the raw vocals show up again, the madness returns and continues once more. The song finishes with more of the dreary high notes ringing out into the void. Overall, the guitar parts, ambiance and lyricism are the strongest points of this track. I mean, just take a look at the closing lines:
"his gift of immolation
keeps his body together
he drains the souls
summoning darkness" ²
Black Altar: This second track utilizes more of the trad-black metal and kvlt aspects than the other two. It's a tad straightforward and standard, but not too shabby either. It still keeps a decent, consistent ambiance throughout. The tremolo picking and riffing later transitions into a droning triplet section, with some chords and background high note strumming as well for effect. I felt as though the vocals were kind of underused here. However, the instruments definitely save the song. The track comes to an end with another somber and melodic outro consisting of clean guitarring. All of these songs on this EP seem to have pretty memorable and rather melancholic endings, I've noticed. This also happens to be the longest song on the EP. In all, I enjoy the atmosphere, outro and instrumentals in general.
Spires of Decay: Okay this last song is a close runner up to my fave track of the EP. I really liked the chugging that comes in at about a minute in. And the vocals are slightly deeper than before, giving off a bit of a death metal influence again. The guitar riffs are really fun to listen to on this song. The melodies are also great, along with the atmisphere yet again. The ending leaves a lasting impact for such a short EP. I just wish it didn't end so soon...it finished just as I was getting into it honestly.
In conclusion, I really enjoy this EP for what it is. It may not be much in terms of the length, but it ultimately left me satisfied and wanting more. It's also rather unique in terms of the ambience; certain little sections really come alive. The quality and performances are top notch for the genre, especially considering that only one person made it all happen. Overall, Fangs ends up being a short, but sweet black metal EP with some distinct vibes, an intruiging atmosphere, and an identity of its own.
Fave Track: Night Hunt
For Fans Of: Kvlt and traditional black metal; atmospheric black metal
**Fangs by Husk is available now on Husk's Bandcamp & Death Kvlt Productions' Bandcamp!**
Sources:
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Review by: Dave Raffy
-Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
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