A mysterious act hailing from the US Ärid released their latest full length earlier this ear. A wrathful and bestial assault on the senses, with its rapid fire blast beats, raw guitar riffs and guttural vocals that cloud the mind with dark thoughts. The titles for the tracks are about as incoherent as the music but in such a way that captures you and drags you down into a dark and cold abyss. This is the first album I’ve heard from them but I am immediately intrigued with their sound and raw stylistic approach.
This album is a wild ride from start to finish. The raw blast beats are only complimented with the incredibly tinny and naturalistic sound of the drums. The snare is very prominent and really drives the entire force of the album while the guitars buzz in the background creating a hazy and dizzying atmosphere. There’s no doubt that the drums were the first thought here when it comes to the song writing. The amount of creative and chaotic solos that are filled with such furious intention behind them really gets the blood flowing and stimulates my senses in a very primal way. While few and far between the vocals are rather bestial and guttural, really driving home that raw and putrid atmosphere the album pushes. The raw production on the guitars are phenomenal and almost addicting. Once you get used to it being seated in the background while the drums take the scene in the foreground really creates for a unique experience that I can’t say I’ve heard in other bands. Ärid truly has a unique sound to them that is unlike any other.
While overall the album does have a rather average run time of just over 41 minutes, it does feel like it drags on for longer than it needs to be. The rather unpredictable drum patterns and buzzing guitar riffs can really melt the mind after a while, especially if listened to all at once. I think its better in short bursts, but that’s just me personally. Each track can easily stand on its own though and is easy to pick out in a lineup of raw black metal tracks which is a good thing I feel. Other than that, there isn’t much negative to say of the album. Its a raw, hateful and putrid album, what’s there not to enjoy about it?
I certainly picked up the rest of their discography, and found that some of the tracks on the other albums are of similar intent with intense drumming and dizzying guitar tones that only get more raw the more you progress into the past. Its a unique gem among the sea of raw USBM acts out there, and this one is certainly worth checking out.