Band:	Crowhurst
Album:	Crowhurst
Style:	Noise, Experimental black metal
Release date:	April 01, 2015
Guest review by:	Alex F

01. Penumbra
02. A Precipice Of Stone
03. Judgement
04. It Is The Mercy
05. Black Oceans
06. Languorous Void
07. Luna Falsata

Crowhurst are one of those bands with a frighteningly prolific discography. With so many albums, EPs, collaborations, and splits I was fairly dubious as to whether any of the actual music would hold substance or quality. Fortunately, Crowhurst prove with this self-titled full length that they mean business and should be judged by the same standards which we place on all other professional groups. While the stylistic approach varies quite heavily throughout the band's discography, this album falls quite nicely within the classification of "black metal." However, Crowhurst's varying influences do make appearances on this record, with quite a few post-metal elements seeping through the cracks along with hints of psychedelic roots.

The incorporation of such widely varying styles within this 40 minute album is mostly achieved through meticulous shaping of the production. The admittedly unimpressive vocals are smothered underneath the often cacophonous torrent of instrumentation, something also found within the works of artists such as Arizmenda, and sections such as these lend themselves to a very "psychedelic" atmosphere. The instrumentation itself is always very clear, and each note can be distinguished; however, this is managed without sacrificing the very raw edge the album maintains. This is most likely achieved through a more treble-focused mixing, a technique which was used in nearly every 90s black metal release.

These obviously intentional steps taken to accentuate the instrumentation mean that Crowhurst cannot hide behind a wall of noise and rely on sheer violence in lieu of songwriting. They do not disappoint here, with the aforementioned "cacophonous torrent of instrumentation" being presented through both melody and occasional dissonance. The album as a whole has a very emotional-edge to it, however this is mostly apparent when the band slows things down to a glacial pace. This frequent use of tempo-changes allow the listener to fully appreciate the melodic and emotive aspect of this self-titled release.

Sometimes it feels as if the clean interludes placed throughout the album break-up the flow of aggression that the band is constantly building, and it brings to light the largest flaw in the album. It often seems as if Crowhurst are unable to decide whether they want to stick with a purely dissonant and violent approach, or delve deeper into the atmospheric and emotive side of black metal. While plenty of bands manage to achieve a brilliant juxtaposition of these two vastly differing stylistic approaches, Crowhurst's attempts can often come across as less intentional and more indecisive.

Fortunately for the band, these minor shortcomings do not detract too heavily from enjoyment of this album, and it still manages to shine through as one of the fine black metal releases of 2015. Plenty of other critics have been praising this album, and it is clearly an album worth checking out for fans of the genre. It is far from groundbreaking, and certainly not "album of the year"-worthy; however, Crowhurst have proven that they know how to pump out a humongous catalogue while maintaining a standard of quality.