Death Upon His Bell
(Fallen Temple)
32:38min
MONSTRAAT is a raw Black Metal band from Koping, Sweden. I know, just saying that is a cliché in some conversations but hey MONSTRAAT put on a decent show here. “Death Upon His Bell” is the band’s third full length and shows some promise. MONSTRAAT isn’t doing anything earth shattering or groundbreaking here but they put on a compelling show for their audience. Very clearly influenced by the early Black Metal greats, the band focuses on Black Metal in its rawest form. This is the absolute barebones of how Black Metal must be, there aren’t any towering atmospheric pieces and frankly I don’t think that’s what the band intended to do anyway. I sense an absolute primitiveness that the band has embraced with no fear. This is the pure Punk attitude but lined with the rawness and unpolished Black Metal which honestly is a little refreshing to listen to. Most contemporary Black Metal is well produced with layers and layers of sound, do I enjoy that? Oh hell yes! But MONSTRAAT are a different beast, they wear the garb of brutality in its primitive form and simply push through with absolutely no second thoughts. Part of me thinks this is very personal in nature or at least has been drawn from such experiences, I don’t have any basis for it but it certainly feels like it. MONSTRAAT have clearly put their foot down in their beliefs and put forward a very straight forward beastial Black Metal album that takes us back to the roots of the genre. I’ve enjoyed it, particularly the screams that sound like echoes from a mental ward. Can we also take a moment to appreciate the album art? It is easily the best representation of what lies beneath. A bleak, hopeless, vista of darkness which is being mercilessly ploughed by the insanity of the man. I like it! For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/monstraatofficial, www.facebook.com/fallentemple666
Vamsi Kanagovi
• MONSTRAAT - The One Eternal (Thomas Meyer)
• MONSTRAAT - Monstraat (Luxi Lahtinen)