Starting with the devastating track ‘Catechism Of Shame Pt1’, the album immediately throws the listener straight to the point : we are faced with powerful, aggressive Black Metal (but not only that), and above all, with a high-quality release. The guitar and bass riffs are very well crafted, the production suits the style perfectly, and the overall execution leaves no doubt, it is almost perfect. You can tell right from the start that this is going to be a very good album, and the rest of the record only confirms it.
Oldowan Gash is a solo project by musician The Forlorn Spirit, who is also active in several other bands, always within the Black Metal style (Baphomancia and Sigillum Fractum, among others). The artist therefore has a solid and highly prolific musical background. As for Oldowan Gash, the project’s first releases (two EPs) came out in 2018. The entity is (by the way) relatively well-established, and ‘1000 Dreams Of War’ is its second full-length album. Having never had the opportunity to listen to the rest of the discography, I will focus here solely on this album, without comparing it to the other offerings from this one-man band.
What is certain is that this project has its own distinctive touch, an identity that makes it unique in its own way. Of course, this type of vocals and these kinds of sounds have already been heard here and there in other Black Metal bands, that is true, but never in quite this form; never with this particular combination. The result is a refined and distinctive kind of music, where destruction and sheer power give way only to an intoxicating epic quality. To be clear, it is the riffing (and the melodic combinations) that are epic, but there are no keyboards or pagan elements to be found here, apart from a few intros, such as the one on ‘Brides Of Orlok’.
The greatest compliment one can pay this album is that, despite the variety of atmospheres explored throughout its different tracks, it never loses its overall coherence. The opening track is extremely fast and powerful, whereas ‘Brides Of Orlok’ is more mid-tempo, dark and oppressive. The closing track, the excellent and long runing ‘Fighting Forever’, takes on a more epic yet nostalgic character, without losing an ounce of its power. These different approaches nevertheless blend seamlessly within an album dominated by distinctive vocals and a particular way of crafting guitar and bass riffs, making these nearly forty minutes perfectly cohesive from beginning to the end. I especially liked the tortured ending part of ‘Fighting Forever’ when the man screems like he was possessed by the spirit of the conceptual war itself (a mix of anger, pain, frustration, rage… everything at once).
‘1000 Dreams Of War’ is a truly successful album, created with a passion that shines through in every note. It is undoubtedly a release that could find success within the underground scene. As for me, this second full-length has made me want to dive into Oldowan Gash’s entire discography and discover all of its subtleties.
Highly recommended!
