BOOK OF BLACK EARTH

The Cold Testament

Prosthetic
rating icon 8 / 10

Track listing:

01. Weight of the World
02. Cross Contamination
03. Antartica
04. Irritating Spectre
05. Termination
06. Research and Destroy
07. Road Dogs From Hell
08. I See Demons


In a fashion typifying the average band's progression from one release to the next, someone that didn't know any better might assume that the more atmospheric/expansive, keyboard-effected "Horoskopus" was released after the more direct form of blackened death metal on "The Cold Testament". But BOOK OF BLACK EARTH is no average band.

"The Cold Testament" is every bit as good as "Horokopus", the major difference being that the newly unleashed feral beast kills its prey in a quicker, decisive fashion. The chill in the air persists and the dark clouds of Armageddon blot out the sunlight. It is just that "The Cold Testament" lunges is a manner more savage with layers of crunch and sharp edges that coexist with black metal minor note harmonies, Joe Axler's clattering, nuanced drum battery and TJ Cowgill's mid-range shout/growl. That new found directness pays off big time on opening track "Weight of the World", probably the most memorable track of the bunch. The ghosts continue to haunt though, as doomy/melancholy melody lines are found all over the album. Check out "Termination", parts of the cleverly titled "Research and Destroy", and a standout called "Antarctica" that has a vibe similar to the cold winds blown by NACHTMYSTIUM. Interestingly enough, it is also on "Research and Destroy" where BOOK OF BLACK EARTH gives its death a rockin' fuel injection, but not nearly as powerfully as on the raging demonic gallop of "Road Dogs from Hell", which offers a proud mantra of "Shit out of luck, don't give a fuck, this is the life we chose!" Indeed.

Certainly the Chris Common (PELICAN, THE SWORD) production and a mixing/mastering job by Dan Swanö (BLOODBATH, OPETH, NASUM) at Sweden's Unisound Studio contributed to the rip factor and, believe it or not, bleaker outlook on "The Cold Testament". But it is of course the musicians of BOOK OF BLACK EARTH who decided that going for the jugular was the straightest line to a kill. They were right. Those hyenas you see milling about nearby are waiting for the right time to dine on any meat that may remain on the carcasses left behind by BOOK OF BLACK EARTH after a ruthless attack now known as "The Cold Testament".

Author:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).