Review Summary: A freaky good time found in a frustratingly flawed debut
Mixing black metal and punk can result in some pretty damn great albums. You don’t have to look any further than last year’s killer release by Owls Woods Graves or the esoteric twanging of Wulkanaz for some perfect examples. But it’s also a mixture that can bring out the worst in bands who phone it in, landing them in a weird netherworld devoid of both genuine energy required by punk or atmosphere demanded by black metal. Aedel Fetich’s self-titled debut lands somewhere between these poles.
Hailing from Denmark, this freaky four-piece seems to draw inspiration equally from horror punk and black metal to mixed but overall decent results. On first listen, this album really impressed me, largely on the strength of the vocalist who goes by the nickname Skvat (or, ***, in English). But on subsequent listens, that push and pull between genres became more apparent. Much of the guitarwork and drumming here is adequate but fairly simple, alternating between punky grooves and basic tremolo passages. Thankfully though the band never makes the fatal mistake of casting off atmosphere for sake of intensity, and a fair chunk of this record is suitably hellish, busying itself with either frantically blasty passages or horror punk bops.
But it’s the vocals and, strangely, bass that carry the day on this album. Skvat is a renegade on the microphone, effortlessly careening between ear-piercing screams, grandiose baritone singing, tortured warbles and even vocal theatrics verging on 80s new wave territory. That 80s influence seems quite intentional considering there’s a nice little audio easter egg at the end of one of these tracks that I’m sure listeners will pick out. All the while, bassist Neglefanden (The Nail Freak) provides no shortage of impressive runs and flourishes that dash in to steal the spotlight and boost the tracks. These captivating performances could almost make up for the less impressive guitarwork and drumming but for the fact that the songwriting is just solidly okay.
Frustratingly often, many of the songs here feel like they end too soon, cutting ideas off before they’re allowed to cycle or evolve. For a band as interested in theatrics as Aedel Fetich clearly is, it’s baffling that they didn’t give themselves more time to play with song structure and composition. I think the worst offender is “Madras” which showcases some of the catchiest vocals and riffing on the album, only to be cut off at a scant 2:34.
Even with these flaws though, this is certainly an album worth checking out, especially considering it clocks in at under half an hour. When the band is firing on all pistons, like on the first few tracks, it evokes how I imagine being stabbed to death in a carnival funhouse by a gang of gacked out carnies feels. At its best, this album is unhinged, maniacal, ferocious and a ton of fun. Aedel Fetich clearly has a vision for their music and time will tell whether they refine it into something truly breathtaking.
