Vit is a blackened doom metal band from Ohio. The band hail from a small town named Swansylvania and are what the band site as their main influence. This is the trios, vocals, guitars, and drums by the way, first release and they have said that they are already working on a follow-up for next year.
Despite the style on here being generalized as blackened doom metal, you'll find elements in here that could connect this band or album to several other genres. The opening riff on The Ardour of Saints reminisces of post-rock while Ascension Ritual has more than a few links to the rootsy Americana style. The black metal part of the band could even link them closer to a band like Cobalt, where it's certainly black metal, but there's just an air of uniqueness to it.
The track Swansylvania is actually quite an experience, as the song is just an oppressive dirge of a song, crawling along with a terrible disposition. You'll notice that the track is a pissed fist in the face of everything that is accessible about black metal today, choosing to have a building tension within it and never really letting it go. But that is just one of the more "normal" tracks on this album, with the next song, the aforementioned Ascension Ritual, being a 14 minute track that is much more experimental.
This record has a real sense of melody and groove present, showing how much the band actually manage to write solid songs while retaining an originality and experimental nature. There are moments on here that sound a bit like a Black Sabbath riff from the early 80s, while others are ripping melodies that recall 90's Norwegian black metal. While tracks like Perennial Collapse or Puritan Ossuary are definitely more aggressive and should appeal to those that enjoy the more "straightforward" approach, I have to say that personally, I found myself enjoying this album's more adventurous tracks.
The production on here, being self-produced, is rather fitting for the music when you look at how much the production COULD have hindered this album's attitude. When you look at bands that choose a rawer production, their sound is often more muddied and at times "sloppy" and other bands might choose a cleaner, more pristine sound where everything is polished and things can end up sounding a bit too shiny and mechanical, this record leans a bit more to the dirty side, but has enough of a shine to allow things to come through. You find that everything is very clear in the mix, while remaining an almost live quality that captures a real gritty assault.
Overall, I had little expectations approaching this release and was really blown away by it's unique take on black metal. After listening to this record a few times, I have come to expect a lot from the next release, keep your eye on this band. This might not appeal to those with a liking for more melodic black metal, but those that like the style when it has a fistful of passion and emotion should definitely check this out.
Overall Score: 8
Highlights: Swansylvania, Ascension Ritual, -
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