11th May 2020

Review: “Some Kind of Vampire” EP by Valravne

Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered at Clean Sheets Studios in Asheville, North Carolina, the sophomore release from Aggressive, Depressive, Misanthropic Black Metal solo project Valravne has appeared just two months after the debut full length self titled album. Valravne is credited with everything, lyrics, music and instruments, you name it, it is free from outside influence which makes it very much in that niche bracket with many multi instrumentalists needing a drummer or vocalist to achieve what they are looking for.

A spoken word introduction from David Hoyle otherwise known as The Divine David, an English performance artist of the avant-garde persuasion known for his aggression in everything ushers in “Contempt for All Humankind” a Black Metal tale of furious intent that lyrically depicts the ouroboros, a vicious cycle of a serpent eating its own tale in a vicious cycle of “Life eats death eats life eats death eats“. As you might expect, the track is a fine example of oppressive atmosphere and coupled with an ear splitting piece of kit work thanks to a raw drum sound that is lit up by the quality of the lead flourishes. Similarly “Some Kind Of Vampire” has that raw feel with some throat splitting banshee roars (and before anyone says anything, a banshee can be male, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the other world) and a sinister spoken word moment that is as eerie as they come and of an individual on the verge of self immolation. The long drawn out roars sound like the wind howling between the trees of a black forest while the guitars are finely balanced with a driven bass line like a knife edge. The dark and brooding “Vada in my Ecafe” has a post-Metal vibe to musically with a melloncholic melody, while the cutting vocals remain at their blood gargling best, like the post hallucination high. If that was one variation on the Black Metal orientation then the icy, almost Gothic, science fiction inspired synths of “Taylor Mountain” are another entirely. A tale from the coffin “Finally at peace, Cold and alone, I’ve found my release“, it’s haunting and eerie phrasing is a dark conclusion to a diversely grim EP [7/10]

Track listing