Enterré Vivant came under my radar with the release of 悪罪 (Akuzaï) last year, and I covered it in these hallowed pages. Hopefully at least one of you went out and bought it because it is a fantastic record that drips emotion. Kurogoku doesn’t pull any punches in that department; they take what is left of your valuable soul and just crush it.
Once again we get the total package. The cover art and inlay are magnificent, and they convey the theme of the music contained within perfectly. The production is stellar, and every note rings out with equal parts sorrow and anger.
“Gakidô” gets things started and right away I can tell this is going to be something special. A different experience than 悪罪 (Akuzaï); certainly a different approach than that album. The band plays with tempos like a cat with a dead mouse; one second they’re wrapped up in a whirlwind of blasting and the next they’re doing emotion-laden Atmospheric Black Metal.
“Ningendô” is a slow, menacing track; it wraps itself around you in a bloody embrace. It’s got a nice Dimmu Borgir vibe to it, circa Spiritual Black Dimensions and Enthrone Darkness Triumphant. It’s an unbelievably heavy song (as they all are) and I can’t stop loving the fuck out of Kurogoku.
There’s a little bit of Cradle of Filth in “Tendô” especially in the keyboard-heavy beginning, where Enterré Vivant goes full-on epic Atmospheric Black Metal. The second half of the song is a full assault, not in the sense that there is a crushing wall of blast beats… more of a wall of brutal malice.
“Chikushôdô” starts out subtly; about thirty seconds into the song, it bursts out of the speakers to devastating effect. This song is over nine minutes long and doesn’t feel like it at all. That’s the magic of how Enterré Vivant compose their songs. “Jidokugô” is next, and it’s got one of those classic Black Metal riffs that make you nod along with the beat until the blast kicks your head in at the two-forty-seven point. Only to switch to a gorgeous, yet brutal as fuck track that literally takes your breath away.
This part of Kurogoku is a bit more European than the first half; there are Japanese flourishes and moments where it sounds like Sigh and Dimmu Borgir had a bastard offspring. I can pick out some Ukrainian Black Metal influences, definitely Norwegian but firmly rooted in the French Black Metal spirit. “Shuradô” is my favorite song from Kurogoku. It’s so goddamn heavy and emotional, the riffs that weave through the song and the flute(?) I think it is a flute… anyway, it adds this whole other level of gravitas to the album, that’s what I’m trying to say.
Is Kurogoku better than 悪罪 (Akuzaï)? Fuuuuck, that’s a toughie. 悪罪 (Akuzaï) used radio transmissions to great effect, adding a huge amount of emotional impact through the story of Hiroshima. Enterré Vivant don’t do that on Kurogoku, but it doesn’t need to be done. On their fourth full-length, they’re firmly rooted in the realm of Atmospheric Black Metal with nothing to prove.
The bottom line is quality, and that’s exactly what you will get with this release. If you like Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth and all things Atmospheric Black Metal, you’re in the right place. Go get this one now!
