Misanthropic Path - A Bluntly Description Of The Present (2007)

The Germans are at it again. Another fine slab of "recorded in a tin shed onto an 80s answer machine" raw, depressive black metal. A full length recording of last years demo under the same name, A Bluntly Description Of The Present (no I don't think that makes sense either) brings a few surprises. After an initially forgettable, albeit vocally unnerving start we're dropped into the Peste Noire-esque clean intro for 'The Whelps Path'. Then we're presented with the most unusual feature of the album - clearly audible bass. Playing in the forefront of the mix for most of the album and though at times verging on obnoxious, it does seem to work. Carrying on down the road of the unexpected, 'Chapters' treats us to another clean intro that comes across like Vincent Price playing surf rock before driving into familiar Darkthrone territory of riff-blast-riff-blast. Penultimate track and album highlight 'Als Ich Euch Verließ' delves into the depressive realm of Peste Noire/Mortifera, resplendent with barbed wire gargling vocals, clean interludes and buzz soaked misery.

Not a mould shattering album by any stretch of the imagination, but it will definitely appeal to those depressive black fans who felt Folkfuck Folie was a bit too clean. There's definite potential here.

7/10