Black Sun Shall Rise

So Satanic and blasphemous (they really like that word) it'll make you giggle in terror, Wind of the Black Mountains' =Black Sun Shall Rise= is a yelp of outrage from this Michigan duo aimed to appeal to the marginalized working class. Satan's warriors in this case are Tchort and Nybras, a dynamic duo in face paint. The drums are typically thin but the vocals are suitably incoherent given the Grim Black Metal/Filth Grind ghetto they've placed themselves in. Striving to sound diabolical, the guttural voice comes out small and strangled. Think of Smeagol/Gollem out of =The Lord of the Rings= without the "my Precious" tic. Breath of the Blackened Prostate has the Black Metal sound down. Tunes such as "Blackest Bitch" and "Frost of the Diabolical Forest" are separated by short sound-effect passages including a bit of ominous German speechifying over stock modern warfare sounds and, charmingly, some barnyard animal samples. "L.U.S.T. (Living Under Satan's Trust) is a nice gothic interlude of guitars over the sound of galloping horses, invoking images of dark riders on a moonless night. This brief instrumental track is easily the highlight of the album. "Blasphemer", the closing track, is a three movement epic with atmospheric beginnings and ending, with a few minutes of sound meter-pegging thrash sandwiched between. Especially compelling for these dark warriors are the shout-outs they give to the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League as well as their main man, Jesus. Who would have thought? Wind of the Black Flatulence show potential; a few more years slaving away at their day jobs should really sharpen their skills (and build their resentment). As it stands now, they're just trying to be Thyrfing [Reed City]. ~ Steve Sword