Broken Speech (Album 2021)
Owl Cave
Acousmatic Experimental Black Metal
To all explorers of the unknown: we welcome you to the Black Metal Doom wonderland. Going to the ground of the deepest forest and beneath the subterranean. A horrific and beautiful journey at the same time, brought to you be Clément Duboscq (Tremor Ama, Intraveineuse) and Ellie Promotion.
They promote Owl Cave for fans of Zhrine, Blut aus Nord and Svartidauði. In fact it is a stunning experimental one-man-band like e.g. Inexistenz. The debut “Broken Speech” is out digitally and on CD, LP and as gorgeous box set via Time Tombs Production. On the cover by Dehn Sora (Secrets Of The Moon, Amenra), we already find ourselves in a kind of cave looking up and seeing creatures all around.
The six tracks, blended into one on the record, take us to dark valleys immediately. A heavy slow and gloomy riff receives us like from Sinistro, with voices in the back reminding of Ministry. Two chords sometimes are enough to build the suspense, while the beat switches between groovy headbanger and classic blastbeat. The effects effectuate a gurgling impression, making aware that we are not alone, starting The Descent stepping into The Cave.
Owl Cave is loud, but works with the fascination of silence too. So we feel like on a underground lake, thinking of the sound experience in an ice cave. The record progresses leisurely, and then switches to mean screechy creaking ambience. Those details are pure highlights listening closely, like fine guitar tones and melodies and echoing drums.
With Sludge hammers, we hear the creatures like zombies in the back, witnessing a spooky ritual with choral elements. Industrial noises follow, like from a steam engine combined with clashes from a forge. It could be Saruman breeding his Orcs, which then march towards the exit, blasting out from the cave.
Coming to the final, the riff could even carry a brutal Rap like from King 810. If we ourselves manage to leave the cave, or the creatures of darkness devour us, is unclear. But after this musical journey, maybe we even like it that way..