CONSPIRACY

CONSPIRACY is the solo project of Ukrainian Carpathian Wolf (the guy's hometown is in fact in the Carpathian Mountains, although he now resides in the Netherlands). A couple of demos were released in late '80s/early '90s, but "Reincarnated" marks the first official studio release. The album was worth the wait, at least for those that enjoy quality, if unoriginal, black metal.

The fact that much of the material technically has been in the works for 10 years in no way makes the raging black metal of "Reincarnated" sound dated. Rather, the style is roots-based, yet somewhat modern. A strong production that emphasizes riff crunch and instrument clarity helps the affair without causing it to lose its raw black metal edge. Mr. Wolf has successfully combined thrashy black metal with a strong sense of melody, resulting in eight tuneful and ripping tracks. Much of the music on "Reincarnated" is of the up-tempo, razor-riffing variety, as evidenced by songs like "Virgin's Blood", and the title track. A debt clearly is owed to the Norwegian masters, but the superb use of melodic leads, harmonies, and general song craft results in the achievement of that illusive balance between core black metal ferocity and tunefulness. As fierce as a song like "United in Hate" or "Demonic Harmonies" may be, the guitar work emphasizes as much melody as aggression. In fact, "Demonic Harmonies" is but one example of a song filled with engrossing chords and soaring leads; the attention to detail in the arrangements becomes more obvious with each spin of the disc. Other tracks like "Carpathian" include different compositional twists, such as choral vocal harmonies that sit in the middle of the mix, providing depth without detracting from the licks and speedy gallop. After the brief instrumental airiness of "Funerary #1", the album ends with two anthem-like tracks, the up-tempo seven-minute "Collapse into the WWIII" and anthem-like "Brothers of Black Metal", both boasting tough deliveries and memorable choruses. By the way, the legendary Dan Seagrave is responsible for the artwork.

Sometimes one has to search a little harder to find albums like "Reincarnated", as they may be hiding on labels like Singapore's Pulverised. "Reincarnated" is not a masterpiece by any means, but it is an enjoyable and smartly constructed black metal album.