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▓█▌▐█▌  ▓▀    ▀▀ ▓▀   ▀▓    ▀▀▀    ██▓ ██ ▀▀               ▀  █▌       ▓ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▐█▓ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▓██▄█▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▌▀ ░▓█▓░ ▀█▄                ▓▐█▀▀                      ░▓█▓░ ░█▓░░  ▓                      ▓        ▓░▓█░  ░▓▄█████▄░   ▄ ▄  ▓▄██████▄░  ░▐██▀▀▀▀███▓░ ▀▓▀ ▀▓▀ ░███▀▀▀▀██▄▓ ▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀ ███  ████▀    ▄▀▀▄▄█████▄▄ ▄▄█████▄▄▀▀▄   ▀████   ██  ██   ▀██▄▐▄  ■ ▄██▀▀ ▀██▄ ▄ ▄██▀ ▀▀██▄ ■ ▄ ▄██▌   ▐█▓  ░▓▄   ▀██▄▀▓█▄▄▄█▀▀ ▄ ▄▓▓▄ ▐█▌ ▌ ▀▓▀ ▐▓▓▌ ▄▓▓▄ ▄ ▀▀▓▄▄░▄██▀   ▄▀      ▓░▓▄███   ▐▀ ▀▓▀ ▀▀ ▄██▀ ▀██▄ ▀▀ ▀▓▀  ▀███▄ ▓▓        ▄██▀▓   ■ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ ■   ░▀███░       ▓███▓     ░░ ▐▌ ▐▌     ░███▓      ███▌░  ▀ ▀ ███▓    ▐██▀ ▀███░   ██▌  Artist...: Black Rock ░▐██▌  ░▐██   Album....: Arcane Remorseless  ░██▌░ ▓▐██   Year.....: 2019  ▓▐██▓ ▓▐██   Rel.Date.: 2020-06-06  ░▐██▓  ▐██   Genre....: Black Metal   ██▌░ ░ ██▌  Label....: Mythrone Promotion / Defense Records   ██▌    ▐██  Source...: CD  ▐██    ░▐██▌ Type.....: Album ▐██▌░  ▓▄████ Quality..: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo ████▌░ ▓▄████ ████▌░   ███▌░  ███▓   ▐██░░▀█▄░         ▓█▌  ███  ▀██▓ ▓█▄        ▄█▀ ▓██▀    ▓██▄ ▓▓▀▄    ▄▓▀  ▄██▓░     ██▌    ▓  ▄▄▄ ░    ▐██▓░       ██▌    ░ ░▀▄▓▓█▀█▄▀▀░     ▓██░         ░██░     ░ ░▄ ▄▄██▐▓▓█▄░▄█▌██▀▀ ▀░ ░ ▄▄▀▀█░░▐█░      ▄  ▐█▌░    ░▄▄▀▓▓███▀▄░ ▓▄▄█▌▓▓█ ▓█░   ▀░▀  ██     ▀▀▀ ░█▓▄▄▄█▀░ ▓█        ░▐█▌    ░█▌▐▓ ▓▄▄░ ▌         ░█░     ▄  ▐▓▓▀▀▀░▓█▄▄░       ░░▄█▄ ▄ ██▄ ▀░▀ ▀█░▄▄▄  ▄█░▄▀▀▄▀▀▄░▀▀▄       ▀▀████████▀░ ▀▀░  ▄█▓░░░░▀░░█ █▄█▓        ▐█░▀██▀ ▄█▓░░░ ▐ ▄ ░▓█▄        ▓  ▐▌  ▐ ▄█▀█░ ░  ░ ▄ ▀█▄▓█░    ░▓▓▀▀░▄ ▌▓   ■░▒ ░ ▄ ▐▀▀▓▄█▓░░ ░ ░ ▄█▀█░█▐▓▌▀▄         ░▀█▌  ▓▬ ▓▀▓ ░▄▄▓▀▓░      ░▀█░▀█▄░░  ░█░ ██ █░▀█▐▌       ░▓░░▐▌   ▌ ░░■  ▄█▐  ▐       ▓▓▓█░▓█▄▄█░  █▓█▓▌░ ▀  ▄         ▓░▓ █▓▐░▌ ▓ ░▓▓ ▓▐▒▄░░▐▓█  ▌         █▀▀░▐▀░█▀▓  ▐▌ █▌    ▀░▀     ▄ ▐░▌░▐█ █▌ ▓   ░█░░█▀ ▐▓▐░ ▀▄▄▀▀▌░   ▄▄███▐████▄▓  ▌        █  ░   █ ─▀▀▀█▓░█▄▌  ▐░▐░ ▄▄▄░██  ░ ░ ░▓░  ▐▌▓▄▌▓▓▌▓▐▓█▀  ■                ▄ ▌     ▀█▄█▌ █▌▐▓░█▓ ▀ ░░░ ░▓█▄█  █▓▓▓▓▓█▄▓▓▐▓  ░        █  ░  ▄ ▀ ░ 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▓█░▓▄▄▄████▄▓▀ ▄▄▓ ▄▄▄░█▌ ░▄▀▀▄█▓░ ▓▓█░████▓███░██▀▓▓███▓ ▓██▓▐█▌ ███▄▄   ▐███▄ ▓▄█▀▀  ▐█▄█▀  ▄▀▀░ ▄█▀░ ░ ▓████████▐██████▓█▓ ▓█ ██  ░█▓ ▐█▄▓██▄██▄▐█▌░   ▐██▌▓▄█▀▓    ▄▄▀▀▀▀▄▄▄ ▓██▓▓▓▀▄████▐░███ █░█▌▄ ▐█▀██▀ ██▀   ▀███▄▄█▓ ███████▄▓▀▀▀▀▄▓  ░▄██▓ ▓ ▓██▓▀▄█████▓ ▄▄▀▀▓▄▄█▄▐█▄▄▓▄▄▄▄▄▄▄░▄░░░▄▄▀▄▄▀█░▄▄▄▄▄▄▐█▌ ▄██▀▄▄▄▄▄▄ ██░████ ▓     ░  ▓██░                        ▓█▄█▀     ▓██████            ▀▀▄▓                      ▓▀▀▀       ▓ █    1. War That Ends All 4:27 2. Ancient Hatred 1:58 3. Silenced Screams 4:22 4. Arcane Remorseless 5:16 5. Colossal Tyrant 5:26 6. Macabre Collapse 4:48 7. Apocalyptic Carnage (The End of Mankind) 2:52 8. Eternal Shadows 4:17 ------ 33:26 This band flew under radar for me until this year. Finnish blackened heavy metal duo Black Rock, who formed in 2012, already have three full length albums out. The third one, 'Arcane Remorseless' is under inspection here. Primal and basic are two adjectives that immediately come to mind when hearing Black Rock. Think about legendary Hellhammer and Venom, and strip it to even more plain approach. Vocals, guitar and drums, that's it. Guitar that sounds like a bass guitar, or other way around. I also could name Necromantia here, due to soundscape, but BR are way more direct in their ways. The opener 'War That Ends All' is basically one riff repeated and slightly altered throughout the song, as well as the drumming patterns. I have to say that the guitar solo surprised me... Anyway, the song structure is droning but not that catchy or something like exceptional. It just is. Finally, on the third song 'Silenced Screams', the duo dare, or thought about branching out a bit. Not much, but yeah, a motherfucking tad. On 1:50 mark, they throw out the most basic of the basic rock riffs ever. Talking about riffs, and generally guitars, they may be gritty but I find they are just no frills; do not expect but very basic things to happen. The drumming is, at times, more shifty, at least. The pace varies from slow-ish to fast, and I find BR working best on slower tempos, because there's somewhat more forbidding vibes going on during them times. but generally, this isn't nefarious nor savage; it doesn't live up to its name. The vocals are croaked and have big echo in them, but are conceivable. Apocalyptic lyrics are the best thing here. Alas, the music simply does not match them. The biggest problem I find here is the powerless sound. It doesn't sound much different to a cassette recorder recording, even more like a straight live take more than a 4-track recording. It's not absolute mess, though. But it certainly does not contain any lower end to speak of. Simple as heck, and no thrills happening anywhere during the album's 33 minutes. I'm really not entertained, to tell the truth. While same (-ish) stuff is repeated in a songs, and songs, it does not reach me. I'm not banging my head like I feel I should. Less is more? Nah, not in this case it isn't. It's no news that every rock or metal riff is probably already done, and this is a fucking testament of it. --- At this point IÆm not even surprised to discover a band making exceptional blackened heavy metal whose name I have never encountered until now. Black Rock; these blackened Finish metallers have 3 full length releases all of which I had to visit after being hit by the rocking bombastic fury of Arcane Remorseless. This is the kind of black metal that cocoons itself within the domain of the earliest first wave of black metal; Venom, Bathory, Hell hammer and Celtic Frost. The kind of metal you would expect to find only available on a limited supply of cassettes, the kind of black metal that you imagine being made in a garage at 12pm midnight. Rugged, ballsy and spitting like a tooth is missing. Arcane Remorseless sounds like the name would; a dirty, unapologetic thunderous blow from the hammer of the 1st wave black metal era, the genre in its trvest, cvltest form. Apocalyptic themes pelt from the mouth of vocalist and rhythmic weapon wielder T.Willberg while M. VehmaaÆs destructive and dolorous drumming ushers in the end of this forsaken species; like hitmen with axes and spears contracted to impale and truncate. This is how I prefer to hear first wave black metal, and how could I forget the production that sounds like it was recorded entirely in analogue, and fittingly so. Many have come and gone since Hellhammer ect, but hardly any carry the burning wick without trouble of endangering the ancient tablature. Black Rock, aptly named, summons a beefy, cloudy, vibrantly-dark and at times doomy (Bedemon styled) series of straight forward guitar and drum lacerations backed by Tom G. Warrior-esque vocals. The execution of these characteristics create a problem of sorts, in that they canÆt be compared to modern bands, at least not any IÆm aware of, rather they can only be placed within the same era of Bathory, Venom etcà ItÆs weird because at first listen my initial thoughts were that Arcane Remorseless possessed the attributes of Black Metal in the early 80s, so for me to give comparisons to current day releases would be unfair. However, I canÆt and certainly will not rank them against the titans that molded the genre, but for what it is, Arcane Remorseless deserves an unchallenged position within the modern era in spite of how old and dusty the recordings on here are. æWar that Ends AllÆ gives a definite idea of whatÆs to be expected on Arcane Remorseless with its steady groove, heavy bass, and embryonic thrashing. æAncient HatredÆ follows the same path but speeds things up a tad bit with some double bass, whilst æSilent ScreamsÆ folds its fists in an almost war metal fashion with maintained tempo but rearranged thrashing drum patterns. The occasional ôUHH!ö is delivered with Tom G. Warrior-esque bravado and the primitive musical mangling continues. æArcane RemorselessÆ introduces the doom metal and gives the temples a rest from frenzied headbanging in-wake of some soporific nodding; then itÆs back to restless catchy grooves, with æColossal TyrantÆ leading the way to the main event; æMacabre CollapseÆ. And before you can recite your pitiful fucking prayers; the end has come. After my time with this doomsday gem, I was compelled to sojourn Return Through Ages and I was just as delighted as I am when listening to Arcane Remorseless. Finland is for me the capital of quality metal. And the list of excellence continues to grow within that territory. Still canÆt believe Black Rock is unsigned, the injustices of the underground continue to baffle me. For those on the hunt for metal within this vein, pickup a copy of this ancestral pillaging of humanity, Arcane Remorseless either on cd/digital through Black RockÆs bandcamp page or Unpure Records if the cassettes have not yet been sold out.                                                                                                     ▀▀░                                                                                                                ░▄▀                                  ▄█▀                                             ░▄           ░▐███░               ▀█░▄▄▄                    ▄░       ▀█░░                      ░           ▀▀░                                         ▄  ░                                          ▄     █          ▀                 ▄              ▄█▄ ▄ ██▄         ▀░▀     ▄         ▀                ▀░▀   ▀         ▀▀████████▀░                   ▀ ▄      ░                      ░░       ░▀██▀                    ▀██▄                ▄               ▐     ░      ░  █▀▄    ▐▓▓▌   █                    ▄   ▄▄       ░                    ▄▄▌█  ▄▄▓▓▓▀  ▄                      ▄ ▀   ████      ░                   ▐███▌  ░ ░                  ▄██▀     ▄▄██▄▄           ░           ▄▄███▄▄ ▄  ▓                         ▐▓▓▌  ░   ▓████▄        ▀          ▀    ▓█████▓  ▀ ▄                           ▀▓▓▓▄▄   ▐▓███ ▌                       ▌█████      ▀██▄   ▄                ░▄  ▀▀██▄▐████ ▌▐ ▌▓                ▓▐ ▌█▓███       ▐▓▓▌ ▀░▀           █    █  ░ ░▓▐████▄▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▄ ▐▐·▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▄█████    ▄▄▓▓▓▀                            ▓ ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▓▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████ ▄█▓▀▀  ▄░ ░            ▄▄▄░      ▓     ░▐████▄▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▄▌▄▐▐▓▐▄▌█████ ▓     █               █████      ▐▄░   ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓░   ▄         ▐▓    █▓███░    ▓▐█░▄▄  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐█ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████    ▄██▄ ▀ ▄      █▌    █████▓   ██▀█▀▀   ▐█▓██ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌███▓█   ▐█▓██▓   ▀██▄ ▀██▀   █████▓░    ▓█▌    ▐████▓▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▄ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▓▌▌▐▐▄▐▄▌█████   ▐████▌    ▐▓▓▌▓█▌   ▄█▓███▄░     ▐█▄▓  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▀█▓███   ▐████▌ ▄▄▓▓▓▀  █▓  ████████▄▄▓ ▄█████▌ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓████▌░ ▄▄   ▄▄█▄▄ ██████████████████████████████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄     █████  ░██▓████▓██▓▓██████ █░█████▄▀█▄░████████▄▄▄▄▄██████▓████████░██████▄▄▄▄▄███████░▄██░█░█████████ ▓██▀█████▓░░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░░░▓███▓█████ ████████▓ ▓██▓▐████▓ ▓██ █░███ █░██████▓ ███▓▄▀█▓ ▓ ▓█████▓███████ ▓███ ░▄▄▄▓████▓ ▓████████▓ ▓██████▓ ▓████▓