Band:	Caïna
Album:	Mourner
Style:	Black metal, Post-metal
Release date:	July 2007

01. Waves Engulf A Pier
02. Hideous Gnosis
03. The Sleep Of Reason
04. Constantine The Blind
05. I Reeled In Heaven
06. Morgawr
07. Requiem For Shattered Timbers
    1 - Overture
    2 - Arc of Piss
    3 - Ruined Shore
08. Permaneo Carmen
09. Wormwood Over Albion

It would be fair to state that a country like England is not really known for it's amazing Black Metal scene. While Norway, France and the eastern part of Europe all have respected scenes with a trademark sound and a couple of bands that raise the banners high, England tends to fall behind in this area. However, the lack of a trademark sound can also be a positive thing. Take Caïna, who have released there latest album Mourner this year and sound absolutely fresh and overwhelming. It might require a couple of spins, but it is well-worth it.

Often being tagged as Post-Black Metal, a term which cloaks more than it clarifies, this one-mans-band combines acoustic strumming and very fragile, clean vocals with very raw, abrasive Black Metal. And in some songs there is even some Dark Ambient thrown into them. One might frown his left or right eyebrow upon hearing this, but it should be known to the world that such a mix can very well work! It does require well-acquainted ears of the recent evolutions in the Black Metal scene due to it's great variety in expression. Those who are still stuck at the beginning of the Second Wave will probably find nothing of appreciation in this release.

With every song having different proportions of the aforementioned styles, no song sounds alike. The dark noise-like ambience of "Waves Engulf A Pier" sounds as if from a completely different album than "Constantine The Blind", a somber and grey song with admirable use of the acoustic guitar and spoken word. Yet, when listening to this album on a whole they connect with each other, and become an over-an-hour-long work of fragility and sporadic outbursts of hate. These feelings are best captured in the aforementioned Constantine, but also in the sixth track "Morgawr" and the closing track "Wormwood Over Albion".

As 'weakness' is the main emotion that is conveyed on Mourner, don't expect the vocals to portray strength or any other of the usual Black Metal aesthetics suchs as 'icy' or 'grim'. A better word to describe the shrieked vocals is 'ugly'. Really, the desperate cry-outs sound horrible, yet that is exactly why they sound so good. When you want to personify depression and translate it to music in it's rawest and ugliest form, then there is no room for beautifully sung melodies. While they may not appeal to everyone, they are essential to the atmosphere. Same goes for the clean vocals. At times they are just painful to listen to, but after all, that is why we started to listen to this music at first, right?

All in all I was really taken by surprise from this great release, and it will no doubt rank high on my 'best of 2007' list. If you are also getting a bit bored of today's metal scene and are looking for something that takes it's influences also from outside, give Mourner a spin.