By: Ernesto
Aguilar
Album Type: Full length
Date
Released:
08/11/2017
Label: Live Fast Die
Records
Songs like II"
has an intelligent build up on the way to a pulsing tone that creates the sort
of dread that the best doom can conjure.
Should you love that description, this album will be the red meat you're
waiting for.
“Ulkum”
CS//DD track listing
1.
Rehearsal I
2.
Rehearsal II
3.
Rehearsal III
4.
Clothed in the Ashes of Fallen Brethren
5.
Breathe Darkness, Swallow Light
6.
Children of Ulkum
The Review:
How
many funeral doom bands can you think of that make their primary business live
performances? Certainly a few, but the majority seem to be studio acts. That is
because this particular subgenre is so much about atmosphere that it is rare to
really be able to strike that mood in a bar, or with restless attendees, even
ones who are into it.
In
the case of Minneapolis
four-piece Ulkum,
its trial by fire has been largely on the performance circuit. Its debut album,
"First Prophecy" from
October, was a live performance on community radio station KFAI. Before that
debut, Ulkum
released a demo, "Demonstration,"
in January of this year. Now back with its eponymous full length, which
features its three tracks from the demo and three fresh editions of songs from
the live album, fans finally get a sense of what the group can truly do.
Ulkum is composed of
some of the region's experienced musicians, including bassist Jesse Geirr
Conaway of the black metal band Drona; drummer Jonathon Andrew Roll, formerly
of black/death metal outfit Autumnal Winds and black metal group Feral Light;
lead guitarist Aaron Lott of progressive metal crew Chaos Frame and melodic death
metal act Pestifere;
and vocalist Joshua Ans of death metal performers Fallen Empire. Given its
lineage, Ulkum's
form of doom has had prominent black metal and death metal influences, as well
as a lo-fi aesthetic that audiences caught on that original demo. Should you
love that description, this album will be the red meat you're waiting for.
If
you caught the group's initial release, the first three cuts will be your
reminder of Ulkum's
sound. Those cuts, titled "I"
to "III," are tighter
versions of the "Demonstration"
sessions that are still raw, decidedly on the low-end and muddy. It may have
been challenging to figure out if that was purposeful, or just a casualty of
austere recording, but there are plenty of dark glimmers to nevertheless
appreciate. In particular, "II"
has an intelligent build up on the way to a pulsing tone that creates the sort
of dread that the best doom can conjure. If you are familiar with the previous
songs, these renditions are particularly strong, and perhaps even better, than
the originals.
The
second half of "Ulkum"
covers the cuts from "First Prophecy."
The tracks released from that October performance gave listeners glimpses of
growth from the band. There is perceptibly more mature compositions between a
song like "I" and "Clothed in the Ashes of Fallen Brethren."
On this album, the versions of "First
Prophecy" songs feel almost identical, beyond a few touches. This is a
positive thing. In fact, if you owned or streamed "Demonstration," this is a good chance to own the most quality
versions of those cuts, plus the even better versions of tracks from
"First Prophecy."
"Ulkum" is available here
