Recorded in between April and September 1992 but released in
November 1993 and produced by the bands’ guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist;
Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance, “Drawing down the Moon” is a bit of a departure
from their earlier, more straightforward and bestial, work featured on “The
Oath of Black Blood” and “At the Devil’s Studio 1990” in that it’s mostly
mid-to-slow-paced as opposed to the more fast-paced songs displayed on previous
releases and features ambient interludes previously not present.
The music itself is pretty unique compared to most other
black metal released around the same time, and very different to anything that
was going on in Norway and Sweden at the
time. The guitars often take a step back and mix in with the vocals and drums
to produce a “wall of sound” type effect, and there are also moments where slow
and mournful melodies are used to pull the listener into a different state of
mind before changing it up and assaulting you with more violent bestiality.
Special mention has to be made for the vocals, which are generally low the
mid-range growls mixed in with some weird clean sections and ritualistic
chanting as well as the occasional spoken word piece. The influence of bands
such as Sarcófago, Blasphemy and Sadistik Exekution are still ever-present in
the music and always an underlying factor in the slower parts and ambient
passages, which just goes to show that Beherit were generally more
forward-thinking and experimental than their peers at the time, having crafting
something that still employs a barbaric and primitive approach while creating a
very eerie, dark and sinister atmosphere channeling different techniques such
as keyboards and ambiance effectively.
This album is truly something special to behold, and is best
viewed as a singular epic piece of music rather than a collection of individual
songs. An essential black metal classic if there ever was one!
Highlights:
Salomon's Gate
The Gate of Nanna
Werewolf, Semen and Blood
Final Rating:
10.0/10 Legendary
