Vulture Industries - The Malefactor’s Bloody Register

For a slashing at the throat of avant-garde black metal Vulture Industries from Norway offers a glimpse into the strangest of the strange on its second effort, The Malefactor’s Bloody Register.

Within the nearly 45-minutes of insanity herein, one can barely call this ‘chaotic’ in the formal sense of the word; rather, this effort trudges along at varying paces and defies typicality and convention for the genre. This is some very unique music that can straddle the line between black-and-roll metal and pagan groove metal, and it’s quite interesting, especially when the horns kick in briefly on “The Hangman’s Hatch”. I dare say this is orchestral-type black metal with some serious progressive overtones, all of which make Vulture Industries quite a step over a humdrum novelty.

The vocals on The Malefactor’s Bloody Register are very straight-forward, nothing guttural, shrieking or waling. I even dare say that I hear some of Jeff Loomis’ style in the guitar work here, which s definitely a plus. Without rehashing tired old riffs through the songs, the music here is so intricate and shocking to the system that you can’t help but be sucked into the aura of it all. The bass being included in the mix is also a plus, especially since it creates a nice undertow for the songs. I really hasten to find a comparison to any other bands here, even though I once heard Italy’s Devil Doll, which is not even close to accurate. Mister Doctor has his own insanity that loops over into fits of cerebral manipulation far too often to label Vulture Industries such an oddity. What we have here is a band that creates a fantastical journey that forces the lackadaisical mind into expansion beyond what the norm calls for. Dare we think within our listening exercises?

As I said, I hear some Nevermore in certain tracks and passages, but the sound Vulture Industries capitulates is one of viability and high sensory engagement. My favorite track is “This Cursed Flesh” because it’s rife with haunting guitar tones and vocals that are as pained as they are boisterous, meshing for a brilliant marriage of two vocal devices too often abused to the point of boredom. When you listen to the album once, then twice, then again and again you will certainly take away something new with every spin, this I can promise you.

For me the perfect combination of soaring, powerful vocals that don’t rely on bombastic form and music that flips the equations so often you can’t pinpoint the formula is what makes this album one of the better efforts to cross my desk in recent weeks. If you’re so inclined to try something unique and somewhat flawless in its complexity through simplicity check out these guys sooner than later.           

Release Date: September 13, 2010
Label: Dark Essence Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Crooks & Sinners
2.  Race For The Gallows
3.  The Hangman’s Hatch
4.  The Bolted Door
5.  This Cursed Flesh
6.  I Hung My Heart On
     Harrow Square
7.  Crowning The Cycle
8.  Of Branded Blood

Total playing time:  44:22

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*Comments:

Reviewer: Chris

February 16, 2011