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Brown Jenkins - Dagonite review




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Reviewer:
8.6

3 users:
8.33
Band: Brown Jenkins
Album: Dagonite
Style: Black metal, Doom metal
Release date: July 2007


01. Blessed
02. Dagonite
03. Aeons Of Crawling
04. She Went To The Sea
05. Starless

Brown Jenkins is a very recent, but highly promising newcomer to the Black Metal genre. This one-man-band, by the visionary UA, is well at home in the Suicidal Black Metal genre. Yes, usually the combination of "new" and "Suicidal Black Metal" is not a very fortunate one, as most of the new competitors are dangerously boring. It pleases me to have the wonderful opportunity to declare that the genre is not dead (yet), but that there are still worthy bands to commit suicide to. Joy, oh joy.

And as you may have guessed already, that title of honour befalls the very subject of this very review, Brown Jenkins. And also a horns up to Moribund Cult Records, for they dragged this originally self-released EP up from the deepest depths of the ocean, and gave it a proper re-release. It would have been an eternal shame if this little gem, and more importantly, the band's future releases, would have been for ever dependend on the quircks and whims of the world's great waters.

After pressing the play-button, you are immediately greeted by UA's long stream of fluid, fuzzy, mind-numbing distortion. No raw or harsh sound here, but rather an enveloping feeling, overwhelming in its acquiescing, ongoing mid-paced funeral-esque procession. This doomy approach to Black Metal allows the listener to be hypnotized and descend into the deep eternities of the seas. Such a claustrophobic approach is slightly similar to Xasthur, albeit that in my unworthy opinion, Xasthur does not come close to this little nervekiller. Although, I should add that I have never been a fan of anything Malefic has done.

Fortunately UA did not forget to incorporate some dynamics into his playing. Not much, but enough. And so he slightly picks up the pace every once in a while, or changes from one nihilistic brainmushing riff to another. Some of his six-stringed progenies could even be dubbed catchy, though perhaps only catchy for wicked Black Metal ears. Such little hints of diversity keep the record interesting in the long run.

Under these droning guitarwaves resides an ugly beast, ritually pounding its horrid drums. Together with the sparse wretched moans and groans, it transforms into a horrific congregation of unworldly monsters and abominations. Horrors forgotten by mankind, presumed dead or even regarded fables, myths, fisherman's yarn. But horrors no less alive than any of us, and in their centuries of pained solitary, brooding on a wicked plan to overthrow mankind. And so, a strange feeling of anxiety is created. They say that eyes that have witnessed enough madness, eventually turn blank and emotionless.. One by one, your nerves break down, until you realize that you have become part of the funereal ritual yourself.

It is no coincidence that Brown Jenkins is named after a character of one of Lovecraft's books. It may be so that UA claims Lovecraft is no longer an inspiration for the music, but the images depicted in my mind did not lie. It's not really a big deal what sort of messages of death every indivual putrid mind depicts, as long as it are messages of death, fear, anxiety, depression, hate and everything else hateful and sinister.

From the very first seconds, "Dagonite" sucks you into its claustrophobic, underseas chamber. For the full thirty-six minutes, the feeling of utter dread and anxious despair is well-maintained. Rests me no more but to praise this surprisingly good EP and to eagerly await the upcoming full-length "Angel Eyes", planned to be released the fourth of April, this year.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8





Written on 20.03.2008 by If you're interested in extreme, often emotional and underground music, check out my reviews. I retired from reviewing, but I really used to be into that stuff.


Comments

Comments: 1   Visited by: 52 users
27.03.2008 - 07:12
Clintagräm
Shrinebuilder
I'm not so sure if I would totally drool over this release. I can't help but notice that there really is a fine line sometime between Doom and Black. I believe that without the production as it is, this could easily bass for Funeral Doom. However, I suppose that is what makes Black Metal these days: atmosphere.

All that aside, a very nicely written review, albeit a little too one sided. The band isn't very original, but UA executes the genre (even though I am not a real big fan of the "Funeral" area) quite well. However, it can become a little tiresome and redundant to one's ears, but perhaps that is just my lack of interest in this particular area of music.
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The force will be with you, always.
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