Episode 13 - Death Reclaims The Earth

The Shining Light Appear On 13.

Episode 13 is a black metal group from Hungry. This is their third full-length album and my first exposure to them. I first hear this album through a free download that the band provided last month.
First off, this record has little to no subtlety, on this album, the word subtle does not exist. This album is fairly raw and gritty sounding and sticks true to what is considered black metal, and that's pretty much the summary of this album. You won't find a lot of genre blending, bending, or warping on here, this thing just grabs you by your collar and slowly punches you over and over. However, the above statements aren't meant to be interpreted to make this album sound like a blast fest, cause it most certainly is not.
This record essentially takes what Shining (Swe) were doing early in their career and mixing it with a bit of Trist or early Hypothermia's more atmospheric and depressive. When looking at this thing as a whole, it's easy to see that this is a very moody record, there's a lot of more melancholic and somber moments that juxtapose the more aggressive and traditional sounding black metal riffing. Tracks like Unmensch feature a more aggressive and straightforward sound that blast you in the face, where the opener Ars Moriendi has a much more depressive sound, and in some ways it's the more aggressive tracks that the band manage to make work for them, as a song like Ultimate Sterilization attests to, these guys can write a cool riff.
I have to say that while the music on here is pretty solid at best and ignorable at worst, a lot of this album is actually quite decent and is worth hearing. Aside from the music though, the vocals are definitely going to be a hit or miss deal for listeners, as the vocalist here has a throaty way of speaking, and that's his main style for most of the album. While people have their opinions about Attila Csihar's vocal style, the vocalist on here is certainly not as varied a vocalist as he is, so it's more than possible that his style will turn some off.
Overall, this is a decent album if you want an idea as to what Shining (Swe) might have sounded like if they didn't decide to begin including outside influences into their music. I can safely say that this record should be able to please any black metal fan, in one form or another. If you like more of a somber tone in your black metal check this album out.
Overall Score: 7
Highlights: Physical Comatose & Mental Overdose, Ignorance Is Bliss, Ultimate Sterilization