Black Harvest - Ingrate - 2011

[RelentlessOblivion]

Band: Blaasfadck Harvest

Album: Ingrate

Year: 2011

Genre: Progressive Death Metal

Duration: 49:56

 

track list

1. Pathetic Labor (4:47)

2. Husk (4:03)

3. Gift (5:46)

4. Remain In Silence (4:01)

5. Wake (5:47)

6. Ingrate (5:07)

7. Behind Every Tree and Stone (5:31)

8. In Your Absence (6:23)

9. Father Alabaster (9:51)

 

To explore new bands is a daunting prospect. There are so many to choose from these days and sadly few of them are worth lending an ear to, let alone spending hard earned money on, fortunately my friends Black Harvest does not fall into that shameful category. With their unique brand of dissonance laden, black metal tinged, death metal Black Harvest are a rare shining light in an otherwise dark, calm, sea of uninspired blandness.

 

The album begins with a short acoustic passage, momentary feedback signals the leap into a melodious riff owing more to black then death metal. The vocals share this characteristic - being closer to the black metal shriek then death growl. For all this though in terms of construction and feel 'Pathetic Labor' is undeniably death metal.

 

Following this impressive opener is 'Husk' which employs a very different tact for its majority. The melodic sensibility is lost almost entirely in favour of dissonant and oft amelodic passages. It's a jarring and unexpected shift but not an unpleasant one.

 

'Gift', the third track on this album, is where things start getting very interesting. The listener is met with another acoustic introduction before a chugging stop-and start riff with melodic hook joins the fray. This lasts only briefly before launching into another somewhat dissonant, yet still melodic, passage. This one track encapsulates all that Black Harvest is perfectly and the seamless transitions between melodic, dissonant, quieter, and heavier passages work perfectly.

 

'Ingrate' is the title track and marks this album's halfway point. The start is quieter with clean vocals softly sung in the background. The main riff has more of a rock feel to it which is completely unexpected at this point. We're reminded this is still Black Harvest later in the song with another well placed burst of melodious dissonance but overall this song is softer then those which came before. It seems as though the band felt the listener might need to catch their breath after four strong and often challenging tracks. The song finishes in chaotic fashion however assaulting the ears with an almost painful amelodic passage to finish.

 

'Father Alabaster' is the ninth and final track on Ingrate. It begins with a slower, melodic passage, sharing much in common with newer Paradise Lost releases (those better versed then I may compare it to Opeth). The vocals are clean and well executed showing the vocalist's versatility. We are eventually met with a passage alternating clean and harsh vocal lines in a way that feels natural. Many bands attempt such an approach but often the clean vocals seem out of place or forced.

 

Ingrate is, at times, a challenging listen. It is an album which demands the listener's full attention but rewards this devotion with well-written, and more importantly well-performed, songs which complement each other perfectly. It is obvious Ingrate was written as an album rather then a collection of songs and for executing the craft so well Black Harvest ought to be applauded

 

Ripping tracks: all

Score: 85/100

[FatherAlabaster]

Thanks so much for this! I appreciate the time you took with the album. Glad you enjoy it.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Give me another week and I should have a review of Abject ready to go. Hope you enjoyed reading my admittedly amateur hour review

[GorboGorboze]

I enjoyed it Relentless, thanks.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Thanks Gorbo for the encouragement and taking the time to read my review.