Review of Psychon Vex - Bleak Remembrance

I really never know what to say when I get this kind of stuff in the mail. I’m not the biggest black metal fan, and I don’t know why I always feel like stating that. Maybe only to justify my opinion if everyone else loves this and I somehow missed something. But that doesn’t change the fact that this is just another bland, uninspired member of the fuzzy, mid-paced atmoshperic black metal family.

By the time “A Reflection Through Orbs” and “Of Time Entombed” were finished, I was lulled into catatonic boredom. Honestly, I can only listen to the same two chords for so long. The only thing keeping me awake were the horrid vocals (horrid in a bad way). I could tell they were going for a sort of otherwordly whispery rasp, but it sounded more like Gollum being tortured at Barad-Dur (though his lower growls are much less annoying). And I do enjoy the texture of the vocals from time to time, like a chilling wind blowing through dead trees. Most of the time they just consist of long, seething groans, which never really serve a purpose other than to remind you that there are vocals (or detract you from the mostly lame songwriting).

One of the only moments I actually enjoyed was the last track (aptly titled “Whisper In The Gloom” [and that’s a pretty fucking cheesy title]), a dirge including only acoustic guitar and wordless vocals (whispery, and actually adds to the atmosphere this time). There are a few good riffs and thoughtful turns in the songwriting, but all in all I was bored to tears. But if you like Xasthur, Leviathan, Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, ect. then you may dig this. But unless I really missed something, Psychon Vex doesn’t come close to having as much substance as the aformentioned artists.