DENIAL OF GOD "The Hallow Mass"
DENIAL OF GOD
"The Hallow Mass"
DENIAL OF GOD, despite their ghostly appearance, are not a typical black metal band and seem to have more in common with KING DIAMOND and CANDLEMASS than the likes of MARDUK or IMMORTAL. In point of fact, there's a lot going on within "The Hallow Mass" and probably more influences than I am aware of.
Under the light of a full moon, though, what this band is about is relatively simple: they use heavy metal to tell tales of horror. They are storytellers who ask us to gather close around a bonfire and listen to tales of witches and vampires. That is nothing particularly unique in the metal world, but DENIAL OF GOD, a band since 1991, have their own voice. On "The Hallow Mass", they spin six lengthy tales of metallic dread plus one brief church organ interlude. The songs could frankly use some editing, but they do have their fascination. There are traces of "standard" black metal, but mixed with doomy and Gothic touches and a lot of inspiration from the metal giants of old. Speed is not a big issue with them. Horror stories need a good voice and the vocalist here has an excellent sepulchral tone. His voice grinds and growls, but the words are clear and you can easily make out the lyrics, which is super important for a storytelling band like this. The music has room for quieter interludes, but the overall approach is pretty heavy. The lead guitar soloing is kind of thin and reedy and on some tracks like "The Lake In The Woods", I felt that sound was kind of annoying.
All the songs except "A Thousand Funerals" are long, but the real magnum opus here is "A Transylvanian Dream". Featuring the most overt black metal songwriting, this is a real masterpiece of mood that actually manages to sound "Transylvanian". There's a kind of folky touch to the riffing that reminds me a bit of NEGURA BUNGET but more metal. It's an enchanting sound that shows DENIAL OF GOD at their best.
I can't say the band is perfect by any means, but I do like the tales they tell and the commitment they have to a unique voice. It's a different kind of black metal indeed.
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