With no desire to indulge in middling intros or unnecessary build-ups to actual songs, Gennembore’s first demo erupts in an uproar of melodic and impassioned furor. You would be forgiven to think this short demo emanated from Finland or France, but this young quartet are from none other than the Appalachian depths of America – otherwise known as Kentucky. Luckily, we are far past the days when online nobodies would be snide at Americans trying to play this style of Black Metal, because Gennembore deliver it with a bold passion that is worth paying attention to.
Within the span of only 20 minutes, the band bring about a burst of raw, yet triumphant Black Metal. This is not the type of Black Metal to sit back, relax and to get lost in the ambience. Rather, it is a profound battle cry that calls you to arms and injects the listener with a high dose of adrenaline. The tape effectively evokes the feeling of a gelid, frostbitten forest but with a dose of punkish outbursts. This latter bit is a compliment to the dynamic drumming of Doom Morning Star, who can quickly revert between fast blastbeats and D-Beat rhythms at the drop of a hat. The vocalist, Piercer of Soul, delivers intense shrieks that are primal and effervescent. Most of the demo does not relent in pace, very rarely allowing us a breather other than moments such as the tasteful acoustics of ‘Rapture’ before launching us again into a maelstrom of melodic riffs.
For only being a very short demo, Gennembore have done an excellent job at putting themselves on the map and once again reminding us that USBM is alive and well. This is for those who want their Black Metal triumphant, majestic and imposing. I can’t wait to see what the band has in store for the future.
