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Gardsghastr - Slit Throat Requiem review



Reviewer:
N/A

25 users:
7.6
Band: Gardsghastr
Album: Slit Throat Requiem
Release date: April 2019


01. Promethean Flame
02. Of Crimson Eyes
03. Slit Throat Requiem
04. Journey Through Stagnant Time And Misery
05. Beasts Of Horn And Wing
06. Diabolical Reverence
07. Unfurl The Profane Wisdom
08. Outro

As big a fan as I am of more left field, experimental black metal, sometimes it's nice to enjoy the bands who wrap an old school sound in a present day context. This year Gardsghastr are hitting the scene hard as one of them.

Though relatively new on the block, forming just last year, the parties involved in Gardsghastr should be familiar, and it wouldn't be too far off to call the band something of a supergroup. For starters, there's the talented and ever-evolving Alex Poole (Chaos Moon, Skáphe, many others) handling guitar, bass, and keyboard duty. The Blackburn brothers from Entheogen and Guðveiki are also present, handling additional guitar, bass, keyboard, and drum duty. Throw Swartadauþuz in as a third guitarist/bassist (who you may recall from this review), plus an individual known as Glömd on vocals, and you've got Gardsghastr. The sound conjured by these five maestros on their debut Slit Throat Requiem is high quality, if not entirely original, atmospheric black metal, soaked in keyboards for extra effect and harkening back to the glory days of Emperor, Ulver, Borknagar, and the like.

Despite its tracks sounding rather orthodox by black metal standards, there's still nonetheless a feeling with Slit Throat Requiem of the music being wholly relevant and wrapped in a contemporary cloak. Certainly not lacking in interesting moments, moments of frantic aggression that may appear at first a bit stale and redundant eventually give way to more spacious moments with midtempo riffs, atmospheric guitar lines, and a more free flowing drum approach (see the title track and "Diabolical Reverence" especially). Additionally, while quite raw and aggressive at points, somehow the production on Slit Throat Requiem still comes off as quite clean and crisp, allowing each part of the instrumentation to shine and not compromising the various layers of sound with its assertiveness.

Slit Throat Requiem represents the latest example of brand of black metal I've become increasingly fond of lately: that which takes an older, 90s era type sound and upgrades it with contemporary songwriting and production techniques, thus feeling both old school and new school almost simultaneously. More complex than a first listen may suggest, with this debut Gardsghastr demonstrate their ability to remain dynamic and hard hitting through compositional techniques both forward and more restrained. There's a feeling with this album that there's something in it for fans of black metal across all eras, and one would quite likely be wise to keep Gardsghastr on the radar for subsequent releases.

Hell of a way to start off a discography. You know where to go.





Written on 22.05.2019 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013.


Comments

Comments: 8   Visited by: 91 users
22.05.2019 - 09:21
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Mmmmm synths in bm
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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22.05.2019 - 15:39
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Nice reviev but its to short, for good bands there must be atmosphere in review and it needs be longer. I like this band, this can be msa best debute in this year, in BM no doubt, I dont see any better debut as this this year.
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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22.05.2019 - 16:15
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Bad English on 22.05.2019 at 15:39

Nice reviev but its to short, for good bands there must be atmosphere in review and it needs be longer.

Ideal review length here is 250 - 500 words and this is 435, so it's fine. Thanks for your concern though
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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22.05.2019 - 16:19
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by Auntie Sahar on 22.05.2019 at 16:15

Written by Bad English on 22.05.2019 at 15:39

Nice reviev but its to short, for good bands there must be atmosphere in review and it needs be longer.

Ideal review length here is 250 - 500 words and this is 435, so it's fine. Thanks for your concern though

At least 12 pages academic paper peer-reviewed journal entry pls
----
Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
Loading...
22.05.2019 - 16:24
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Auntie Sahar on 22.05.2019 at 16:15

Written by Bad English on 22.05.2019 at 15:39

Nice reviev but its to short, for good bands there must be atmosphere in review and it needs be longer.

Ideal review length here is 250 - 500 words and this is 435, so it's fine. Thanks for your concern though


One , two paragraphs more man
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
23.05.2019 - 00:14
nikarg

Yep, not bad at all. It seems that with this and Ringare's release Alex decided to dive deep into '90s atmospheric bm.
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23.05.2019 - 00:47
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by nikarg on 23.05.2019 at 00:14

Yep, not bad at all. It seems that with this and Ringare's release Alex decided to dive deep into '90s atmospheric bm.

Yeah those two are a little more retro sounding than some of the stuff he's put out with other projects but I'm still really enjoying both. Alex Poole-wise though I'm probably most hyped for the Skaphe/Wormlust collab next month, methinks it's gonna be killer.
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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29.05.2019 - 12:33
no one

No one likes this.
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