Geist of Ouachita – Imprisoned in the Graven Wood

‘Imprisoned in the Graven Wood’ is Geist of Ouachita’s debut full-length, out on Signal Rex. The record is full of twangy, lo-fi riffs amongst clashing, clanging drums and excellent harsh, rasping vocals—a super solid effort in the raw Black Metal tradition. The album’s production feels haunted and vintage, like an old gramophone playing through a black and white television, which conjures up the cold, dark, and monstrous vibes of the album artwork.

A majority of tracks are centered around introspective tremolo melodies and ultra-fast guitar work—all with a ghastly Blazebirth Hall-inspired tone. The core riffs and subsequent rhythmic/mood changes don’t always land with as much emotional impact as they could. But the last track on the album, the title track, is a total banger and shows serious promise for this relatively new USBM act.

Absolutely worth a spin.