Crom Cruach (IRL) | ‘Narcotic Death’

Black Metal has picked up of late in Ireland, after what could rightly be seen as an almost decade long hiatus. Even since the beginning of the year there have been several releases - a huge increase in relative terms. That’s not to say though that all of it is decent.

Crom Cruach prove a frustrating listen because they seem to deliberately let themselves down. This demo sounds far more like a rehearsal than anything properly recorded and mixed. That means that crucial details - like riffs - are completely swamped under a clatter of cymbals and shrieking.

That’s the story for most of the demo, and the sound is just too poor to overlook. When they slow down though, there’s a definite stomp. The guitar even takes on some unexpected thickness.

One thing more than any other marrs this recording though: the solo breaks. They’re a total mess. Given that this mix is absolutely and totally void of bass, it just isnt sensible to go on a whammy bar excursion - and be sure, that’s all it is - of noisy squiggles. It’s irrelevant, unrelated to the tune that’s already difficult to discern, and really plain irritating.

Tracks like ‘Admit To Be’ at least sound solid in their own buzzing way, but frankly this is just too ramshackle to take seriously at this stage. It’s a garage recording, full of youthful enthusiasm for the subject matter but short on the other musical essentials that would make it listenable.

Also, I can’t help noticing one of the members is called Cathalstrophic.

- Earl Grey ::: 25/01/10