Swarth – Veneficivm EP (Iron Bonehead Productions)

This whole package is quite a mystery. No songtitles they are just labelled I and II, no country of origin, no pictures and no members names. The only information available is that it s coming out on Iron Bonehead productions. This leaves us with the music on its own merits, the opening track starts well with an intimidating atmosphere with a tolling bell and some low slung gutturals. The guitar sound is very typical of the primitive black metal that we have come to love, however the whole sonic value of the song is wrecked by what I think is double bass kicks which is like a droning effect which washes over the whole song and the riffs are buried. Every so often there is a space and the droning stops – is it intentional? The second track is easier on the ears and you can hear a heavy early Mayhem influence throughout. The current fascination with reverb overkill is starting to get old very quick and raises questions over the skills that it is burying. This band have some great riffs and ideas but they really need to sort out the production values if they want any message musical or otherwise to cut through the murk.

Band Members
Unknown

Tracklisting
I
II