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Black Belle's Review of Howling Lament It was arguably Emperor who first toyed with the notion of blending symphonic elements with the raw abrasion of black metal, an unexpected and unusual marriage which both proved successful and opened the floodgates for literal hordes of black metal acts wanting to infuse the harsh textures of BM with the melody of keys and such. For better or worse it was further propagated by the likes of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle Of Filth who have broadened these original symphonic/black metal incorporations and made trademarks with them, dragging in much larger and wider audiences in the process. Californian band Wolfgate possess a slick and polished sound that is an amalgamation of all these aforementioned acts in particular the last two, with the ostentatious and extravagances of the former and the galloping storytelling snarl of the latter. This demo 'Howling Lament' is an impressive collection of well crafted tunes executed with exemplary musicianship though for me it is perhaps a case of the high gloss rendering it a fraction too sanitised to be extremely threatening. It is a swirling high paced expedition populated by sprinting lines of guitar often akin to those of Old Mans Child, ubiquitous keys, ceaseless drum work and a great versatility in vocal techniques. Wolfgate don't shy away from utilizing the keyboards as a primary instrument; like Cradle Of Filth and in fact Children Of Bodom they choose to saturate the whole sound in keys, splashing atmospheric tones and layers of melody generously over each track. Intro piece 'Despero Illarum' is a clear indication of this with a profusion of symphonic soundscapes chiming along until such a time as they are overrun by the grand approach of the first proper track 'Ancient Dominion'. Here the keys drench the track as prevalently as ever but they dance in time with the accompaniment of battery and guitars and provide an ethereal backdrop to the diverse assembly of voices used including interjections of choirs. 'Ancient Dominion' is an expedition stretching in excess of seven minutes but this isn't an anomaly at all, the majority of tracks on 'Howling Lament' average this duration enabling the band to experiment with tones and textures and fit a great deal into a single track since the particular riffs and arrangements are shifting rather than cyclical and repetitious. Consequential song 'Invocation of the Gate of Nergal' is likewise littered with an array of vocal stylings, changes in tempo, hints of tremolo riffing and some of the better examples of drumming on the demo. I will add at this juncture that there are instances within the work overall where the drumming translates as somewhat flat and lacking depth like it could have achieved the same effect via programming but those moments aside the majority of instrumentation is quite accomplished and tight. I have heard Wolfgate referred to as 'melodic black metal' but this is neither a term I like to use or like in general, preferring instead 'symphonic' for lack of anything more suitable as the chief description of their sound. Regardless of what semblances of melody may reside within the work of a black metal band the whole term 'melodic' sounds incongruous and out of place when used in conjunction with black metal. What one does wish to describe Wolfgate as will generally be left up to their own discretion considering the murky grey areas of debate consistently raging over what particular field Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth etc actually belong in. Since Wolfgate share many of the same characteristics, vocals, and styles as these bands obviously they will sit with them as applied by individual ideas. Nevertheless I view them as a symphonic metal band with plenty of black influences pervading and inspiring the sound as well as a number of other styles helping to make up the final product as on 'Eternal Night Sky' which comes into being differently to any of the foregoing tracks. Simple and doleful keys are the only audible instrument in this songs preliminary stages tapping out a melancholy intro which bears no similarity to anything metal under any circumstances. This gradually increases in tempo, hints of classical, shades of baroque and then finally reverts to kind with the extended scream heard in previous songs making itself heard over the clean swell of guitar and faster keyboard brushes. Plenty of atmosphere and musical convolutions lurk amidst the arrangements of 'Eternal Night Sky' and the following 'Maternal Incest Gifts' (shortest track of the lot bar the intro at four+ minutes) with more variety in the voices, more distance traveled in the key laden respective journeys. Touches of the dark and gothic tinged world of Siebenbergen stand out in much of this material as well, most evident on the track which rounds out the demo 'Offerings Of Blood' in terms of restrained but heavy and melodic pacings and intriguing vocals. Wolfgate are an extremely talented crew of musicians and the excellent production values and sound quality of 'Howling Lament' make it a slick and entertaining prospect with a lot to like about it. Unfortunately those of the school who view the Dimmus and Cradles of the world in a dim and unfavourable light are bound to do likewise with Wolfgate and 'Howling Lament' as will those who would prefer their music less honed and polished but anybody who enjoys the hard edge with a little melody and lashes of symphonic fundamentals throughout will have a great time with this. Judged on its own merits 'Howling Lament' can be considered quite an astonishing demo achievement. Tracklisting
Band members
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