SECRETS OF THE MOON

Somehow, black metal and I got off on the wrong foot from the very start. In the early '90s, when it first appeared, I disliked the triumph of the "dark" idea over the music; I disliked the frozen, prickly sound, the abundance of dry high frequencies, and the "true" recording "quality." Later, I disliked it for the commercialization and saccharine sweetness of its melodic and symphonic representatives. I rejected black metal for quite a long time -- until it inevitably began to mutate, slowly but surely absorbing influences from related or even distant styles. It became significantly heavier (recall at least the recent works of Immortal), became more interesting, diverse, and unusual (think of Solefald), became slow and viscous (Khold). From an ugly duckling, it transformed into a beautiful and powerful black swan. And what does all of the above have to do with SECRETS OF THE MOON, you ask? I'll answer with pleasure, because this German act is one of the many consequences of the evolutionary chain described. No mindless pounding, no frozen sound, no dried-out high frequencies. A massive rhythm section that alternately drives the material to classic black metal speeds, then slows it almost to depressive thoughtfulness, then confidently prances on double bass drums around a stately mid-tempo. The guitars are rich and heavy enough to surely rival some of their death metal counterparts. The vocals are a low, powerful black metal growl/scream, and the lyrics, as has become customary, are occult -- but at least, thankfully, free of childish pseudo-Satanism, for which they have my deepest gratitude. The verdict: a near-perfect album that will appeal to fans of death metal, black metal, and also those who enjoy indulging in certain intellectual refinements.