Ophidian Forest describe their music as Pantheistic black metal band from Croatia, The Netherlands, and the United States. The trio of Amalgamoth (lyrics, vocals and keyboards), Otrebor (drums) and Zaragil (guitars & bass) have apparently never met, or even properly communicated, so how on earth they have managed to record a series of albums (this was the debut in 2009) is quite incredible. But, when listening to music one never wonders about how it was put together, but rather whether the result is any good, and this style of music is one that alienates more than most. The only reason for production to be as raw and abrasive as this, is by deliberate choice. This is black metal in, at least to me, it’s very purest form: over the years it has moved on from being a subgenre of metal to one that has spawned many subgenres itself, but this is where it belongs. This is music heavily inspired by the mighty Darkthrone, and recalls their very earliest releases. This is music to designed to be played on a cassette tape – who needs high definition when it is as brutal as this?
The vocals are mixed at the same level, or sometimes behind, the music, and it is often the drums that are the easiest to determine. The guitar cuts through like a buzzsaw, all distortion and riffs, while the bass is just behind – often playing intricate lines, yet it comes across as a chaotic maelstrom of sound that only the roughest and angriest vocals can compete with. Originally released in a DVD slip sleeve, this and their other releases are available from their Bandcamp site. If you miss the “good old days” when black metal was frightening and disturbing, then look no further.
