Different Shades Of Darkness

Surprise. For a change, not crunchy metallic hardcore, the complete opposite in fact, totally harrowing black metal from one of Eastern Europe's most productive quarries of grim darkness, Poland. The Polish hordes have always a far rougher style to my ears in comparison to the Norwegians and Swedes who I feel are more clinical, even professional in their execution of black metal. Whereas bands from Poland, Russia, Ukraine etc, focus more on feeling, emotion and atmosphere to distinguish their music.

Ohtar play the kind of black metal that I really connect with, this being the completely misanthropic variation that has a sound that is doomy, dirgy and discerns the listeners wish to be comfortable when listening to this record. The guitars are as sharp as the incision to be found on the unfortunate cover art victim, but simultaneously, the guitars are equally mournful in their tone. Vocally, Ohtar can be best compared to Burzum and thus sits next to Burzumic followers such as Wigrid and Leviathan in post 2000 Black Metal.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cogu97 - Ohtar - Order!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/y33n7t - Ohtar - Delighting the edge of the knife

Unfortunately this is totally out of print. I remember picking this up instantly in 2003 as the individual who recommended it forewarned that it was on one of those minuscule black metal labels that do a single 1000 pressing and then disappear into the black metal portal unlikely to return.

Ohtar did go on to record a second album but again, from what I can see, its also out of print, my advice is to watch the likes of http://www.redstream.org and http://www.supernalmusic.com too see if any copies come back into stock (these are my two favorite black metal providers).

If anyone really needs the other songs, hit me up, I'd be glad to send out a copy.