Onto a preliminary clarification: this is not an easy album. But should one even expect an undemanding task from False? Perhaps not. Certainly not. Lately – the chronological period is not clearly identifiable, however Wolves In The Throne Room have their share of responsibility as being its pioneers –, the American soil has been seeking a redefinition of what black metal is. A nation which has presented us with acts such as Deafheaven or Panopticon is proving to the world how BM is actually the least hermetic genre of all the heaviness spectre. Both politically and sonically. A fact that is truly remarkable, taking into consideration how usually the public opinion thinks precisely the opposite.
Black metal’s elasticity is verified by successively and uninterruptedly contradicting the idea of uniquedefinition aforementioned. Everyone can state the blast beat or the atmospheric tone as being black metal pivotal elements, but that’s about it. Not to mention that blasts are easily find in grindcore, the same happening with atmospheric passages in post-metal. There are uncountable paths to reach the non-definable black metal realm and we all aware of it from early on thanks to the likes of Ved Buens Ende. In 2015, two decades later, False endorse their own, unique analysis. A perspective which takes the concept of entropy very seriously, rendering it onto a structured-orchestrated branch of BM. A kind that does not fear the synthesizer, embracing it as a unifying element between key tempo shifts, European 90s obviously inspired in, adding a melody-hooked range of substance. A supplemental dimension which does not allow wilting, nor abstract-dulling alabasters of repetitiveness. If anything, “Untitled” is thought provocative in its way of avoiding dreariness, stagnancy, while not stopping once for sixty minutes. It is complex, as any profound ontological work of art must be, it is demanding and it is mysterious by being both reclusive and overwhelming. Chaotic at first, orderly when finally absorbed in all of its dimension, “Untitled” will challenge you.