Info
- Band(s): Faceless Entity
- Label(s): Argento Records, The Throat
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, Cassette, CD
- Release Year: 2022
- Review Date: March 4, 2023
- Author(s): Marksson
I’ve been greatly impressed with the recent offerings from Argento Records as of late, so I was interested to review another of their 2022 back catalogue, the sophomoric ‘The Great Anguish of Rapture’ opus from Dutch Raw Black Metal triumvirate Faceless Entity. This album marks the bands long awaited return to action on the release front, as their debut album entitled ‘In Via ad Nusquam’ was released back in the pre-pandemic days of 2017. Argento Records were also involved back then, sorting out the CD release, and like the first album, this new one has been released on cassette by The Throat!
Opening with the albums title track, Faceless Entity soak their sound in an ungodly amount of reverb that grudgingly allows the passage of sound through it. Those sounds are made up of vocal work with the abrasiveness of fingernails down a chalkboard, minimalist use of percussion and symbol crashes and a heavily obscured brand of riffs. Also in the mix is a punishing amount of bass lead and a backdrop of bleak synth tones.
Whereas many releases of a Raw Black Metal persuasion are simply badly recorded, ‘The Great Anguish of Rapture’ is an album with far better production that has been purposefully produced to sound hostile, inhospitable and aggravating. Faceless Entity’s style is very much cautious; a slower pace that creeps and crawls through the fuzz and static before powering outward in a Blitzkrieg of concentrated aggression that intensifies the overall sound, but especially the bass play which takes on the sound of an angry wasps nest! One thing I wasn’t expecting was the occasional appearance of chant like cleaner vocals. These are kept to a minimum and add a certain haunting charm to the album.
‘The Great Anguish of Rapture’ is a hypnotic album. Play it loud in a darkened room and you’ll be lulled and caressed into a trance despite the overall hostile nature of the Faceless Entity style. This is a bleak, brooding album that is capable of great showcases of explosive energy and desolate anger. Another fine offering from the band, and another excellent piece to the Argento war chest!
Faceless Entity
- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Black Metal [Raw]
- Links: Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify
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Argento Records
- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube
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The Throat
- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Black Metal
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
