So big fat disclaimer on this one: Metal Trenches and myself do not support or wish to further Satanism or pro-suicide agendas. We are all about the music, and often that music comes from people with widely varying world views that we respect as long as it does not involve harming others. That being said our latest topic, Turkey's Blliigghhtted (which from henceforth I will refer to as Blighted for simplicity), is a dark one. Led by Ruahanathanas (Viranesir), the band proclaims to explore "dark spirituality through correlations of tradition and degeneration in essence and form." But this, their final album, features more personal and direct lyrics dealing with her suicide. Yes, much like Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection, Ruahanathanas chose to end her life on her own terms.
Like the album cover, the music is raw and haunting. Broken into 4 chapters: Black Flame, Illusion, Death, and Suicide; Into the Cunt of the Witch is not for the faint of heart (as if that title wasn't warning enough). Each chapter is represented through 3 tracks that flow seemlessly into one another, forming a larger composition. My personal favorite is the "Black Flame" trilogy, which features some truly infectious riffs despite use of dissonance, underproduction, and guitars that don't always sound properly tuned. The grim vocal performance is extremely powerful, seeming to put the listener into a trance.
But man, attention must be paid to these drums; especially for a black metal album. We tend to think of BM drumming in terms of blastbeats and sticking to basic 4:4 (unless we're going progressive or avantgarde), but here there is so much more. "Technical" is not an expressive enough word to describe it. That word tends to conjure a machine-like, pristine sound to mind. The work on the kit here is much more live and organic. Merdümgiriz showcases a level of ordered chaos that is clearly only understood within the demented reaches of his own mind.
Things only get more insane as the album wears on. I have described a number of releases in the past as showcasing a "downward spiral," but this one tosses all the rest aside. The further we fall down this pit of ritualistic intention, the more the "music" goes off the rails into new levels of freestyle expression and experimental creation. And the other interesting difference is that unlike those other albums, Into the Cunt of the Witch doesn't represent a descent into madness or despair, but rather a very clear choice on the part of the subject, Ruhan, herself.
So if you can stomach the content and ideals, or just ignore them altogether, I consider Blighted's swansong to be one of the best truly kvlt black metal albums I have heard in a few years. Those who share the ideology behind it will probably hold this album to even higher acclaim than that, but simply in terms of music I see no reason why the broader black metal fan base wouldn't find some enjoyment in it. That having been said, this is probably not for the Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir camps. You'll need a bit more masochistic ear-conditioning before transitioning to the vileness within. It's also likely to scare away most of your loved ones. You've been warned.