ninehertz

Canadian black metal is not a genre that's been bothering my particular sphere before but Wilt have produced a fantastic EP here.

Canada, with its open countryside, bleak, snow-filled winters and bears, elks and other extremes lends itself to the Norwegian style well. In a similar way to Wolves In The Throne Room, I imagine Wilt have a fixation on the spiritual side of black metal, rather than the evil, satanic realms.

The EP stretches over half an hour and with just four tracks it's a glacial speed with which they approach the listener. With a wall of guitars shredding away, the two-piece intersperse this with cold, acoustic excursions now and again meaning your attention never wanders. The vocals are screamed and guttural but also have a decipherable side to them, meaning lines about the passage of time, cold desolation and despair.

The pace and melodic essence running underneath reminds me of celebrated doomsters While Heaven Wept, music that comes from frailty, vulnerability and high emotion and doesn't pretend to be dealing with it well.

This is probably a good start for someone into their slow-wound doom who appreciates a bit of desolation and misanthropy. It's a metallers' take on shoegaze, except the gazing is into your soul as well.