Hecate Enthroned

Dark Requiems (Metal Blade)
by Scott Hefflon

Dark Requiems… is a real shame cuz I like Hecate Enthroned. Their old-school, straight-for-the-throat black metal style is usually a nice change of pace from the new black metal which is becoming more symphonic, more melodic, and “prettier” every day. Not that evil beauty is a bad thing, but listening to the ugly, noisy, barrage of guitars and blastbeats that is black metal’s roots is fun, good for the soul, and allows you to appreciate the distance the genre has come over the years. But this Hecate Enthroned record is so badly produced, it’s depressing.

The drums are far up in the mix, the guitars are a constant blur tucked behind dull keyboard chords, and the snakespit vocals don’t even sound like a human voice (not that it’s supposed to, I know, but this sounds more like the annoying, constant shriek of leaving a car window open just a crack). The evil barks and growls come through, but they’re the percussive bursts that lack the semblance of words, not to mention any kind of note or inflection. While I’m an occasional fan of ugly roots black metal, this isn’t the record I’d ever reach for when wanting to get down’n’dirty in the black depths. By the end of the disc, either the ear gets used to the noise and begins to isolate decent musicianship, or the disc actually gets “better,” but that still doesn’t make me recommend sitting through this to get there. There are far better options available.
(2828 Cochran St. #302 Simi Valley, CA 93065)