As one of an ever-shrinking number of "elite" cult bands worshipped by "true" black metal fiends, Carpathian Forest can properly be expected to sound, raw, nasty, misanthropic, and evil - defining qualities of the old-school black metal sound. What may be more unexpected (and disheartening) to some is that at times their newest, Strange Old Brew, bursts with an almost childlike exuberance and playfulness that belies its stern imagery. On a superficial level the music seems grim and severe, and it is; certainly one would be hard pressed to find anything cheery or good-humored about songs like "Thanatology" and "Return of the Freezing Winds". And yet track titles such as "The Good Old Enema Treatment" and "He's Turning Blue" are consciously tongue-in-cheek pokes at black metal music's austere façade. The album itself is far from perfect, but its more facetious moments and enthusiastic playing nearly compensate for a number of serious songwriting gaffes.

The "raw" black metal that Carpathian Forest plays is in many ways more like simplistic thrash and punk rock than the refined and orchestral black metal species that is fashionable nowadays. Fast and aggressively played, the music moves along quickly and is quite fun to listen to. However, the songwriting really isn't all that great and the flaws become conspicuous after several listens - strip away the energy and the atmosphere, and the crude power chords have a tough time standing on their own. The cracks are particularly visible on slower-tempo, doom-thrash tracks such as the awkward "Thanatology" and the reverb-filled "Cloak of Midnight". Problem is, these moodier songs leave Carpathian Forest's songwriting naked and exposed, and the suspect craftsmanship loses the luxury of hiding behind speed and passion. These nitpickings may not matter much to those looking for a quickie black metal fix, but for everyone else, Strange Old Brew long-term viability must be called into question.

The customary black metal screeches are buried deep in the mix, even as the bass guitar and percussion can both be heard clearly. A few interesting numbers spice things up and merit special attention: "House of the Whipcord" is a saxophone-accompanied piano tune that comes as a welcome respite between two harsh and extreme numbers, and "Theme From Nekromantikk" is an orchestral interlude that begins with an almost embarrassingly simple piano melody. One shouldn't mistake Strange Old Brew for an experimental album however; nothing is further from the truth. Rather, one should take this album for what it is - an enjoyable, if unessential release that'll nevertheless get your head nodding to the beat.

Review by Jeffrey Shyu

Review date: 10/2000

Back to top