![lore – altars of the precipice possession [ep]](https://www.vm-underground.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lore-–-Altars-Of-The-Precipice-Possession-EP-cover.jpeg "Lore – Altars Of The Precipice Possession [EP]")
Of course, a cover with a winter scene of trees on a mountain is not very unique; ever since Ulver’s debut album, it has been something that has been imitated hundreds, if not thousands, of times. While such a cover design may become increasingly meaningless, at least it often does reflect what to expect musically, and British Lore fully lives up to that expectation with its debut EP ‘Altars Of Precipice Possession’.
That there are no surprises at all may be a minor detail in the whole thing, but it does somewhat symbolize what we are presented with during this 20-minute EP, which is divided into two tracks. It is by no means bad, but to say that it is rather uneventful is unfortunately only an understatement.
It is safe to say musically this EP is solidly constructed and it is also built from all the familiar elements we know from Melodic/Atmospheric Black Metal. We hear the typical fast drums, rich melody lines, ferocious vocals and atmospheric passages that provide plenty of dynamics. But all in all it sounds somewhat contrived and superficial, it lacks the essential depth and what can be called the true nature of Black Metal. The somewhat sterile production also lacks a certain raw edge to give the music enough credibility. The ease of listening is also not helped by the somewhat unstable musical direction on ‘Altars Of The Precipice Possession’. While I’m usually up for some musical adventurism, this time I’m particularly troubled by the angular transitional moments that clearly lack bridges or the musical ingenuity to make that happen smoothly.
Although there is plenty on this debut EP worth listening to, for now it mostly feels like a somewhat disjointed set of loose fragments of musical ideas and the aspiration is not yet sufficiently taking shape. For a first EP, it’s certainly not a bad start, but there are still some tweaks and improvements to be made to be ready for a worthy album.
Lore
- Country: United Kingdom
- Style: Black Metal
- Links: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
