Review: Inurn - Inurn I

Inurn, a shrouded depressive black metal project divided between Arizona and New Mexico provide Horn of Woe with yet another great submission. Described to me as influenced by Judas Iscariot, Forgotten Woods, and Philip Glass my interest was instantly piqued. The two members Luke and John each record in isolation and send their work via email to each other. I was wary when I heard that there was little physical interaction between members but my worries were unfounded. These two musicians create something unique in the ever growing (and redundant) world that is depressive black metal. Their work is extremely repetitive and utilizes keyboard in a way that is not overdone or too "dungeon synth" for it's own good.  While most depressive black metal falls somewhat flat for me, Inurn give the genre new life through their stedfast dedication to repetition, using it to create a somber, meditative atmosphere.

The opener, "Anchorless, Adrift" is nearly eleven minutes of crushingly dark, hypnotic, swirling guitars, crashing digital percussion, and gentle droning synths. The guitar tone is surprisingly thick, not the typical paper-thin tone implemented by depressive bands, adding a new texture to the genre. Throughout this record old ideas are indeed rehashed but not in a way that leads to stagnation, instead the ideas a worked with and built upon by the two musicians. Yes, repetition has been a cornerstone of the black metal genre since it's creation, but Inurn takes that repetition to a whole new level, barely ever striving off course, completely submerging the listener in the music. Luke Henley's vocals also provide a unique stamp on Inurn's sound. Rather than opting for solely traditional black metal screeches or wails, he utilizes a wide variety of styles to express a range of emotions. The screeches and wails are still present but a gruff bark and a pained shout are also part of his vocal stylings, helping to make the album not grow stale. Inurn I is just an extremely well crafted piece of music, it's obvious it's two creators know exactly what they are doing and understand what it takes to use repetition in a way that does not grow tiresome. Their addition of synths and loud thunderous drumming, plus the distinct and varied vocals only add the the wave of guitar fuzz that washes over the listener.

Inurn breathes cold, dismal life into the depressive black metal genre. While obviously incredibly derivative of the works of some of the dreary art form's masters the duo leaves their own stamp on the genre. One which is full of heavy digital percussion, white-washed guitar fuzz, and tasteful synth work. This will appeal to longtime fans of the more depressive stylings of black metal and to those who are looking for something that is not a carbon copy of the likes of Xasthur, Moon, etc. Highly recommended and can be found here.

Review: It Only Gets Worse - Creation Myths

The first submission to Horn of Woe comes courtesy of this new collaboration between Matt Finney of Heinali and Matt Finney and Mories of Gnaw Their Tongues, Aderlating, Cloak of Altering, etc. etc. Matt contacted me and said he had a new project with Mories and was wondering if I would be interested, of course I was. I am no stranger to Matt's work, the masterful droning soundscapes of his collaboration with Heinali had easily filled the hole the demise of the Angelic Process left, but it was much more than that as well. Rooted in the duos ability to create intense, emotional, and reflective music. Finney brings spoken word vocals and cripplingly personal lyrics over Mories instrumentals. Mories, for those of you who do not know, is a Dutch practitioner of all things depraved and noisy. His projects run the gambit from dark ambient to black metal nearly always falling somewhere between the two. A creator of some of the most challenging and forward thinking music lends his instrumental talents to this three track EP.

Beginning with "Dropped" immediately heavy synthetic drums pound along with distant floating synths. The tone of this album is reflective from the offset, clouded like a distant memory. Over the fluttering synths and mechanic drums a simple, subdued synth plays a coldly mournful melody. The instrumentation is joined by Finney's spoken word. Calm, whispered vocals guide the listener through Finney's despondent lyrics. The music acts as a platform for him to lay bear his poetic expressions ripe with illusions to longing, regret, and failure. The words are deeply personal, covering lost love, dysfunction, hurt. Perfectly accompanied by the synth work of Mories, the two work together to create a cloud of negative emotion, both pouring themselves into the project. The second track "Indian Summer" displays more upbeat percussion, rhythmic yet distant, while synths glide and Finney whispers pure melancholy. The final track "Creation Myths" makes use of choral vocal sampling to add yet another grief stricken layer to the music. Finney utilizes dark humor saying, "knew that his death would at least get this album some critical acclaim" proving yet again that his ability to use words is nearly unparalleled. What Finney writes is poetry, plain and simple, and Mories provides the perfect soundtrack to his dark and reflective whispers.

It Only Gets Worse successfully straddles the line between it's two creator's works. A plodding, post-industrial synth filled drone scape ripe with vivid whispered lyrics. Mories brings his dark instrumental ability into new realms, focusing less on noise and more on slithering synth compositions, while Finney continues to write some of the most personal and heart-felt lyrics I have ever experienced. These two musicians work extraordinarily well together and I hope that soon their paths cross again. Find the album on bandcamp here, you won't be sorry you did.