Ominous Reflections – Die Ewige Swart
Lig
South Africa
Morbid Ways To Die / Rigor Mortis Productions
Based
in Johannesburg (one of the world's most crime-ridden cities), the one-man
entity known as Ominous Reflections ignites the South African scene with raw
and sinister black metal. (Formless Devotion is another project from South
Africa worthy of note.)
After
releasing a demo back in 2014, "Die Ewige Swart Lig" is the band's
first release in seven years. Musically-speaking, the material is pretty
impressive and on par with many more prominent acts. The atmosphere conveyed is
soaked in a pitch-black aura, while the overall mood feels decidedly
misanthropic. The style is very ‘90s-influenced, and while it doesn’t offer
anything new, I must say the music definitely brims with fury and passion. It’s
refreshing to hear a black metal project from South Africa that’s serious and
that doesn’t just outright copy its influences.
The
production is, as you might anticipate, raw, yet absolutely suitable for this
style of music. Tempo-wise, the music is mostly mid-paced, with some fast
segments interspersed throughout, providing the necessary balance to the songs.
Raven's vocals are hateful screams that emanate from some deep and tortured
place. I find Ominous Reflections to be very similar to Polish black metal
bands such as Thunderbolt, Szron, and Furia.
Being
an avid black metal fan myself, I can certainly vouch for the project’s
potential. This EP is thoroughly enjoyable, and it certainly deserves credit
for being produced in a country that isn’t exactly known for providing quality
black metal to the world. Looking forward to Ominous Reflections’ next release
and curious to see how the project will develop. (HT)