Post-black metal quartet OAR are teaming up with Decibel to premiere the second track “Souls Lost in the Frost” off their new album, The Blood You Crave (Blighttown / Hammer of Exile). While most post-black metal outfits are light on the low end, Sydney-based OAR hit the low end hard, giving their shimmery riffs and tortured vocals a weighty disposition. Think if Dragged into Sunlight had found ISIS’ Panopticon (or if ISIS suddenly found the urge to peel away the layers of Hatred for Mankind) riveting. OAR’s intent is serious and profound.
Indeed, “Souls Lost in the Frost”–and the rest of The Blood You Crave for that matter–has that methodical menace that is missing in today’s offshoots. The gloomy pace, forlorn lead riff, the thunder of the percussion are like a mausoleum caving in on itself, while the vocals sear curses not meant for the living. The Ben Worsey production (Everland Studios) complements OAR’s abrasively doom-ed black. The melancholy is there. The savagery is there. And the loathing is palpable. Truly, “Souls Lost in the Frost” is one of the finest examples of despondent black metal heard in a good, long while.
Say OAR: “‘Souls Lost in the Frost’ is a thunderous post-black metal epic about the rage and resentment of loss. Heavily laden with images of storms and ice, ‘Souls Lost in the Frost’ casts you out to sea and pummels you with waves of riffs. Our God is the north wind. He waits to devour.”
Find your own grave to howl the lost with “Souls Lost in the Frost” now!
