Album Review: Svart Crown - Wolves Among The Ashes
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
Bursting with blackened riffs and death growls, French outfit Svart Crown return with the follow up to 2017’s Abreaction. Their fifth album, Wolves Among the Ashes focuses on the power and karma of nature and the depths of human depravity, this is an album that might not have happened. Long-term originator and leader of the band Jean-Baptiste Le Bail found himself flying solo before encouraging drummer Nicolas ‘Ranko’ Muller, who had played on 2013’s Profane to return to the drum stool, initially in a temporary arrangement but now as a permanent member of the band once again. Ranko’s drumming here is phenomenal, the decision to return to the fold welcomed. Alongside Ranko, Wolves Amongst the Ashes also sees the circle of squared with return of guitarist Clément Flandrois, previously in the band from 2008-15, and the line-up is completed with an injection of new blood via newcomer Julien Negro on bass and vocals.
The powerful intro They Shall No take our Death, opens. It’s eerie in the extreme, containing a sample of the last speech made by preacher Jim Jones, founder of the Peoples Temple Cult, right after he had ordered all his followers to commit mass suicide in 1978. Le Bail uses it to portray “human madness to the extreme”. Thermageddon then explodes into a full-blooded 90s blackened metal aural assault, massive blast beats and angular, jagged guitars combining with gigantic roaring vocals. On Abreaction I’d noted the muscular style which at times deservedly draws comparison with their countrymen Gojira, such is the ferocity in their delivery and this release is no different. Art of Obedience’s crushing riffs underpinned with melody provide something a little more accessible to those who may not feel that Blackened death metal is their bag although the song’s topic of sexual domination may not.
Wolves Among The Ashes embryonic shoots were sparked when Le Bail saw the Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan, a natural gas field nicknamed ‘door to hell’ (‘darvaza’ literally means ‘door’ in Turkmen) which has been burning for the last four decades. He said, “I liked the idea of nature always overcoming us, fighting back over what we had taken from it, the talion law on an environmental level if you will. I believe in karma and the whole album was built on this idea.” So, an apt subject matter for our times. Svart Crown’s style whilst brutally heavy isn’t one dimensional, with Blessed Be The Fools an unlikely union of industrial samples, crushing riffing married with Gregorian chanting (performed by Ranko). It’s a huge sound, the slow chugging guitar tone preventing any decrease on the overwhelming heaviness.
Svart Crown’s variation in power, pace and direction ensures that interest is always maintained. The fiery At the Altar of Beauty echoes the black metal darkness of Gorgoroth, and contrasts with the dual clean vocals and almost trip-hop beats on the echoing Down to Nowhere, which allows a deep pause but continues the journey. It all leads to the concluding eight-minute plus conclusion, Exoria focusing on the notion of exile, with the layered approach once more drawing favourable comparisons with the industrial progressive tones of Gojira. Wolves Among the Ashes is a detailed, intricate and exceptionally impressive piece of work. Produced by long-time producer Francis Caste, Svart Crown are definitely reborn with a monster of an album.
Wolves Among the Ashes is released on 7th February on Century Media
