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Released in mid-October 2013, Black Funeral Holocaust is the
debut full-length from Orlok. This is raw Finnish black metal with a strong influence from the LLN, especially Black Murder
and Mütiilation. This solo project is yet another from Graf Werwolf, of Satanic Warmaster, and may edge out Opferblut
to rank as the best thing he has ever recorded. In fact, it is near the top of a very short list of albums from recent years
that are even worth listening to.
Black Funeral Holocaust consists of seven tracks, three of
which are sombre instrumental pieces that are well-placed to add an aura of horror and despair. The remaining four songs still
manage to clock in at nearly half an hour, each working well to drag the listener deeper into the abyss. From the opening
moments of the title track, one is taken back two decades, to a time when black metal possessed a more genuine feeling. The
production is lo-fi, but still allows for all of the mournful riffs to be discerned, resting just above the Mütiilation demos
in terms of quality. Speaking of that unholy cult, traces of Meyhna'ch's influence can be heard throughout the album's entirety,
including some rather claustrophobic palm-muted riffs that are very reminiscent of Rites through the Twilight of Hell.
The bulk of this L.P. is made up of very bleak and dreary tremolo riffs with fast-paced drumming that is hardly perceptible.
The decision to bury the drums deep into the damp soil and to allow the guitars to be the dominant instrument was a wise one.
As such, the hypnotic guitar melodies are better able to lure the listener away from reality for a while and into a nightmare
of torn flesh, blood-stained crypts and a black hopelessness that rarely ever adequately conveyed through black metal, these
days. The vocals stray a bit from what some may be used to, as Werwolf utilizes a less-refined and more savage approach, almost
sounding as if he was half-rotted and recently risen from the grave. Throughout the record, there are instances of multi-tracked
vocals that hearken back to the old Vlad Tepes demos, yet here it serves to give the effect of a chorus of hellish demons.
The songwriting is varied enough that each track is able to stand on its own, yet the effect is still best when listened to
in full. The melancholic vibe that permeates this album comes off as more of something that is being inflicted upon the listener,
rather than as expression of the artist. In that sense, there is something more sinister about this.
If you worship the likes of Feasts, from Black Murder or Mütiilation's
demo material, you should definitely give this a listen. Of course, Werwolf cannot be accused of doing anything magnificently
original with Orlok; his influences bleed through in an obvious manner, especially the cold, Transilvanian Hunger-inspired
bits in "Black Hearts Symphony" or the overt nod to Mayhem's "Freezing Moon" found on "Mysticism Corpus Satanae". Yet the
brilliance of Black Funeral Holocaust is the manner in which all of these elements are put together to create a cohesive
and meaningful whole. This is highly recommended.
(11 Oct. 2015)
After having just discovered the band, it was a pleasant surprise to
discover that Orlok was releasing an E.P. in September 2015. Black Funeral Holocaust made a very good impression on
me and so there was a good deal of anticipation in hearing In Spectral Castles of Thy Horned Emperor. It did not fully
turn out as expected, but is still a decent recording and is worth a listen for those into raw Finnish Black Metal.
The first thing that I noticed was the increased distortion, all around.
The sound is very muffled, for the most part, making it a little difficult to decipher some of the riffs. Even more detrimental
is the fact that the vocals are almost completely drowning in reverb (or some similar effect). Perhaps, Graf Werwolf was aiming
to achieve a very decayed and ugly result with the music, this time around. If so, he certainly succeeded. As opposed to Black
Funeral Holocaust, there is not a lot of atmosphere to this recording. There is still a detectable Mütiilation influence,
mostly from the palm-muted riffs in the title track. Otherwise, it is nearly impossible to get through all of the ringing
and static that clouds these two songs.
In Spectral Castles of Thy Horned Emperor is better as a collector's
item for fans of Werwolf's work, I would say, and serves as more of a rehearsal-type recording. It's not bad, but it is not
exactly essential. Hopefully, another full-length is forthcoming and shall return to the morbid brilliance of Orlok's debut
album.
(30 Dec. 2015)
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