Sleeping Village Reviews
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!

ORDER OF THE WOLF / PESSIMISTA - Split (Review)

10/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: The Administrator

The wayward creation of this review is not reflective of the typical process 'round these parts. After (seemingly) completing the damn thing, our various devices capable of updating the website encountered a Series of Unfortunate Events, resulting, as ye may have noticed a few weeks back, in a marked lack of content. Long story short: the review in original form was largely consumed by the technology gods. However, the unexpected setback provided an opportunity to throw this split back into rotation, crank out a few more listens, and subsequently rebuild the review from the ground up. The opportunity for refinement was too much to pass up, and so here we are, fashionably late, clenching a fourth and final draft in white-knuckled grasp.
​
But you aren't here for the sob story or long and winding intro. Let's dive right in, shall we?

Upon encountering this split album by Scotland's Order of the Wolf and Brazil's Pessimista, I was tangibly excited...but not, notably, by the genre in question. Indeed, "melodic black metal" or "raw black metal" tags all-to-oft serve to push me away with a violent immediacy. I had a familiarity with Order of the Wolf, and have thoroughly (albeit unexpectedly) enjoyed his output in the past, but Pessimista rang no bells. This, simply put, is not the type of music that I seek out with any kind of regularity. So, then: prior to actually listening, the actual content lurking within wasn't particularly intriguing. Rather, the format itself was the hook. 

Let me draw a line in the damn sand: splits are fuckin' awesome, and anyone who says different is A. an absolute bore and B. undoubtedly terrible at group projects. They practically breed variety by intrinsically avoiding the pitfall of many an album, aka the dreaded doldrums of uniformity. From a more practical standpoint, they provide a wholly unique opportunity for bands to introduce similar artists to a new audience that is predisposed to enjoy the aesthetic. When well-curated, they act as an arena in which bands complement each other's strengths and differences while still maintaining a cohesive aesthetic whole. Because they exist in a universe where collaboration is a constant factor, splits have a lot of potential to explore the liminal boundaries between distinct artists approaching indistinct ideas. Shared spaces live and die by the ability to the occupants to work together (or deliberately avoid working together, for that matter). It's an extra dimension to consider, both as a casual listener and a critic. Needless to say, I find split releases--regardless of genre--ridiculously exciting by nature, and this specimen quickly proved to be an exemplar of all the reasons why. Order of the Wolf and Pessimista work together inordinately well to present a cohesive package, and while I do have some very minor criticism of some tracks, I have only praise for the manner in which these two become, in a sense, a shared entity. This is what great splits do. This is a great split.
​

​Order of the Wolf is firing on all pistons as always, delivering a pleasingly balanced blend of raw aggression and angst with a omnipresent-yet-delicate application of melody. As someone who finds little appeal in the purely abrasive texture of black metal, these persistent melodies layered throughout serve as the lushness I inevitably find refuge in--the greenery cracking through the concrete. "Moving Ever Closer Towards the Light" is a particularly strong example, with a crisp borderline NWOBHM hook running through the refrain. OoTW is a master of planting these moments of clarity and beauty in the (comparative) chaos, and hence each track grows its own distinct personality, particularly over the course of repeat listens. This contrasts quite nicely with the vocals, which are seldom discernible and almost always delivered in a wrenched and seemingly desperate tone. If I have one complaint here, it's that I wish the vocals themselves were a little louder in the mix. The buried aesthetic works, of course, but I occasionally find myself distracted by the act of straining to make them out clearly.

While the aforementioned "Moving Ever Closer Towards the Light" is probably my favorite 
OoTW track herein, "A Future of Promises, A History of Lies" has a notably exciting forward momentum. In a similar vein, opener "¡No Pasarán!" starts with a bang and never lets up, displaying more of that delightful "it's catchy but it doesn't seem like it should be" energy. All-too-oft I feel like the guitar is utilized for pure atmosphere in raw black metal, but here, it truly feels like an integral part of the aesthetic. In sum, three excellent tracks; quite possibly the best three tracks OoTW has presented thusfar. 
​

​This certainly isn't to discredit Pessimista, who also delivers a very solid showing. The three tracks on this half of the ol' split are a little longer, and tend to meander a little more than OoTW's contributions. It's a nice contrast. After the fury rained down prior, a little breathing room serves to amplify the overall listening experience. These tracks feel more expansive--perhaps more like a landscape than a portrait. My favorite track here, "Memórias póstumas," clocks in at 6 minutes, and is still the shortest song on Pessimista's half. There is a clear focus on the ambiance, with a sizable passage in the middle dedicated to chimes laid across a gentle choral build. The contrast with the overtly tremelo'd metal portions provides a constant ebb and flow that, in turn, contrasts quite nicely with the steady drive of OoTW tracks such as "¡No Pasarán!" In a similar sense, Pessimista doesn't feel as immediate--these are tracks that you need to spend time with, immerse yourself in, and mull over. I'll fully admit that, even though I'm quite familiar with the lengthy "Proferindo podridão," I could listen again and again and still find something fresh hiding in the backdrop. For this reason alone, it has taken a much longer time to enjoy this half of the split. Once you're in the fold, however, you're here to stay.

These two artists are quite different, both in their aesthetic and compositional approach. However, they seemingly serve to balance each other out in a fashion that doesn't result in dreaded overshadowing. I do prefer OoTW's vocals, but after a certain point it feels like comparing apples to oranges. They both serve their purpose well, and feel appropriate for the music at hand, be it the pedal-to-the-metal pace of OoTW or the more relaxed approach of Pessimista. Variety is the spice of life, and here, we have a release that exudes variety while still maintaining a solid sense of cohesion. If that isn't a win for both artists--and splits in general--I don't know what is.

​Bottom line? This split comes highly recommended for fans of black metal and not-really fans of black metal alike. Pick up the respective halves from the respective artists at their respective bandcamps!

Order Of The Wolf / Pessimista - Split was released Aug. 7th, 2020

Order Of The Wolf can be found:
Bandcamp
Twitter
Pessimista can be found:
Bandcamp
Youtube
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome!

    We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry!


    What are ye
    ​ 
    looking for?

    All
    2020
    420
    Acoustic
    Adam Paris
    Albums Of The Decade
    Albums Of The Year
    Alex Bringer Of Payne
    Alternative
    Alternative Metal
    Alternative Rock
    Alt Metal
    Alt Rock
    Ambient
    Ambient Metal
    Americana
    Ancienthand
    Ancient Hand
    Anti-imperialist
    AOR
    Aoty
    Apocalypse
    Art Rock
    Arzou
    Atmoblack
    Atmospheric
    Atmospheric Black Metal
    Atmospheric Doom
    Avant Garde
    Avant-garde
    Avant Garde Black Metal
    Avant Garde Death Metal
    Ballad
    Band Merch
    Bane Ov Silence
    Baroque Metal
    Beaston Lane
    Beatdown
    Bestial
    Best Of The Year 2018
    Blackened
    Blackened Crust
    Blackened Death
    Blackened Deathcore
    Blackened Death Metal
    Blackened Doom
    Blackened Grind
    Blackened Metal
    Blackened Punk
    Blackened Sludge
    Blackened Thrash
    Blackgaze
    Blackie Skulless
    Black Metal
    Black N Roll
    Black Thrash
    Blastbeasts
    Blastbeats
    Blood Metal
    Blues
    Blues Metal
    Blues Rock
    Breakcore
    Breakdown
    British Metal
    Brutal
    Brutal Death Metal
    Cantina
    Captain's Chronicles
    Captains Chronicles
    Capt Graves
    Carlos
    Cavern Death Metal
    Chaotic Death Metal
    Chaotic Hardcore
    Chaotic Metal
    Chinese Metal
    Chiptune
    Christian Metal
    Classic Albums
    Classical Crossover
    Classic Doom
    Classic Metal
    Classic Rock
    Comic
    Community Favorites
    Compilation
    Continuous Thunder
    Core
    Cosmic
    Cosmic Death Metal
    Country
    Cover Songs
    Crossover
    Crossover Thrash
    Crust
    Crust Punk
    Cyberpunk
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Metal
    Dark Pop
    Dark Rock
    Dbeat
    D-beat
    Deathcore
    Death Doom
    Death-doom
    Deathgrind
    Death Metal
    Death Thrash
    Debut Album
    Demo
    Depressive Black Metal
    Desert Rock
    Digital Hardcore
    Disco
    Dissonant
    Dissonant Black Metal
    Djent
    Doom
    Doom Death
    Doomgaze
    Doom Metal
    Doom Punk
    Doomviolence
    Double Review
    Dreampop
    Dream Pop
    Drone
    Dsbm
    Dungeons And Dragons
    Dungeon Synth
    Dungeon Synth Sunday
    Ecological
    Editorial
    Edm
    Electronic
    Electronic Rock
    Emo
    EP
    Epic Doom
    Epic Heavy Metal
    Epic Metal
    EP's
    Experimental
    Experimental Black Metal
    Experimental Electronic
    Extreme Metal
    Fantasy
    Favorite Music
    Finnish Metal
    Florida Death
    Folk
    Folk Black Metal
    Folk Metal
    Folk Rock
    Free Jazz
    Fresh Meat Friday
    Funeral Doom
    Fuzz
    Garage Rock
    German Heavy Metal
    Glam Metal
    Glam Rock
    Gore
    Goregrind
    Goth
    Gothic
    Gothic Metal
    Goth Metal
    Goth Rock
    Grind
    Grindcore
    Groove Metal
    Grunge
    Guest Post
    Guest Review
    Hair Metal
    Hallucinatory Black Death Metal
    Hardcore
    Hardcore Doom
    Hardcore Punk
    Hardcore Sludge
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Grinder
    Heavy Metal
    Heavy Psych
    Heavy Rock
    Hip Hip
    Hip Hop
    Horror
    Hxc
    Icelandic
    Immigrant Core
    Immigrind
    Indie
    Indie Rock
    Indonesia
    Industrial
    Industrial Metal
    Industrial Rock
    Instrumental
    Italian Metal
    Izzy
    Japanese Metal
    Jazz
    Legends
    Lichtmensch
    Lord Hsrah
    Lovecraft
    Loveloth
    Lunar Fanatic
    Mathcore
    Mathgrind
    Math Rock
    Melodeath
    Melodic Black Metal
    Melodic Death Metal
    Melodic Doom
    Melodic Metal
    Memorial
    Merch
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Metalhead World
    Metallic Hardcore
    METAL MENAGERIE
    Metal Reivews
    Metalreviews
    Metal Reviews
    Mid Year List
    Mid-year List
    Miscellaneous
    Modern Rock
    Murder Metal
    Music Review
    Music Video
    Mystic
    Negative Reviews
    Neofolk
    Nerdy
    New Age
    New Music
    Nintendocore
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    Nu Metal
    NWOBHM
    NWOTHM
    Occult
    Occult Rock
    Old School Death Metal
    OSDM
    Ozzy Osbourne
    Pagan Metal
    Peasantrys Picks
    Pirate Metal
    Pop
    Pop Metal
    Pop Punk
    Pop Rock
    Portal
    Post-black
    Post Black Metal
    Post-black Metal
    Post-classical
    Post Doom
    Post-doom
    Post-genre
    Post Hardcore
    Post-hardcore
    Post Metal
    Post-metal
    Post Punk
    Post-punk
    Post Rock
    Post-rock
    Post Sludge
    Post-sludge
    Power Electronics
    Power Metal
    Powerviolence
    Prehistoric
    Preorder
    Prog Metal
    Progressive Black Metal
    Progressive Death Metal
    Progressive Metal
    Progressive Rock
    Prog Rock
    Psychedelic
    Psych Rock
    Punk
    Punk Rock
    Raw Black Metal
    Raw Sludge
    Record Label
    Reese
    Reissue
    Relaxing
    Release Day Roundup
    Remix
    Re-recording
    Retro Rock
    Retrospective Review
    Review Off
    Review Redux
    Reviews
    Riffs
    Rock
    Rock N Roll
    Roots Rock
    Sabbath
    Sabbath Sunday
    Sadboi
    Saxophone
    Sci Fi
    Sci-fi
    Scorpi
    Screamo
    Shane Thirteen
    Shoegaze
    Short Reviews
    Singer-songwriter
    Ska
    Skramz
    Slam
    Sleeping Village Records
    Sleeping Village Sampler
    Slipknot
    Sludge
    Sludge Metal
    Soliloquist
    Solo Act
    Sound Design
    Soundtrack
    South America
    Southern Rock
    Space
    Space Rock
    Speed Metal
    Split
    Star Wars
    Statement Of Intent
    Stenchcore
    Stoner
    Stoner Doom
    Stoner Metal
    Stoner Rock
    Story Review
    Stream
    Surf Rock
    Swedeath
    Swedish Death Metal
    Symphonic Metal
    Synth
    Synth Metal
    Synthpop
    Synthwave
    Talesofdeception
    Techdeath
    Tech Death
    Technical Death Metal
    Texas
    The Administrator
    The Dungeon Awaits
    The Voiceless Apparation
    Thevoicelessapparition
    The Voiceless Apparition
    The Voiceless Appartition
    Thrash
    Thrashcore
    Thrash Metal
    Threefoldtreatise
    Tom
    Torture Doom
    Track-premiere
    Track Review
    Track Reviews
    Trad Doom
    Traditional Doom
    Traditional Metal
    Trad Metal
    Tribute Album
    True Doom
    Trve Doom
    Underground
    Usbm
    Vaporwave
    Vattghern
    Visual Review
    Volt Thrower
    War Metal
    Weird
    Zombie

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!