Dungeon synth intro, high strung black metal guitars, intense blast beats, rapid fire riffs and snarling vocals... check, check, check, check and check! This is a black metal record of the sort that hearkens back to the dungeons and demons who helped germinate the genre. The stripped back production and demented tunes found on Hate Moon's latest offering The Imprisoning War speaks to the laid back mastery of this band and reminds us of the darkest sides of the genre that serve to make it so goddamn great.
There is something about a band as gloriously dungeon influenced as Hate Moon that you can't help but to love. The way that they perfectly represent the weirder and quite frankly dorkier sides of the second wave of black metal makes me want to smile and the inherent magic of a track like the synth laden "The Seal Is Broken" reminds me of years of playing Dungeons and Dragons with my fencing buddies. While The Imprisoning War is frequently unpolished almost to a fault cleaning up the miux would only hurt the vibe that the band is going for, we would lose the basement magic that defines Hate Moon.
When it comes down to it, this record is pretty goddamn inaccessible, but for the types of people who like weirdo and slightly experimental black metal then something about The Imprisoning War just makes sense. Hate Moon is a helluva band but certainly not one you want to start someone out with. Rather once you've thoroughly plumbed the depths of the Burzum and Darkthrone discographies you can rest easy knowing that these USBM maniacs are waiting for you to fall into their twisted and broken arms.
Pre-order the album here!
https://folkvangrrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-imprisoning-war
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