Lake of Blood, Heed the Primal Calling

This four track EP from Milkweed Records essentially captures “…the story of man’s return to a primal state of existence, free from the spoils of civilization..” in epic, raw black metal. Heed the Primal Calling certainly has that underground metal feel, complete with murky production and a slight tinny echo — it all adds to the band’s delivery nicely. Thick, crunchy riffs pile on top of driving rhythms like demons on a fallen angel as Haagr’s vocals spit vehemence and pestilence.

There’s actually quite a bit to like about these four songs. Besides them being brutally raw in every sense, there’s a decent groove to a few moments within each track that will have you banging your horned head along with the band. It’s not inventive or unique, but the band’s sound is infectious as hell.

Nameless I Arise
Dark, ambient noise greets the listener, setting the mood for the first 50 seconds before driving riffs and rapid fire drums explode from the speakers. The riffs that follow are memorable and have a nice groove to them. The vocals come in around 1:30 with a raw, nasty edge. The band halts their onslaught momentarily at the four minute mark for some string orchestration and acoustic guitar. That stillness is shattered quickly though with melodic riffs that carry the listener into a sea of black. Man, this track is epic with sweeping riffs and well timed blasts. The track ends with a bit of ambient noise.

Heed the Primal Calling
The title track wastes no time getting down to business. After the brief silence that ends “Nameless I Arise,” Lake of Blood erupt like an axe wound to the skull with pummeling drums and driving riffs. The drum work is that of a maniac as Haagr comes in with his tortured screams. The second of the track has a chaotic, disjointed feel with off kilter guitar squeals and tempo changes. It’s an interesting way to end the track, and I think I like it.

The Darkest Path
“The Darkest Path” opens up with a flurry of driving riffs and unrelenting pounding of the drums. The vocals come in much earlier than the previous two tracks as the group summon the darkest of demons with churning guitars and bruising rhythms. I think this is my favorite track on the album. For the most part, the tracks straightforward approach is simple, yet barbaric in its delivery. There is a lull in the black storm that stretches on for about 40 second or so before more thunderous drums and driving riffs come back in to end out the song.

Lake of Blood
The EPs final track starts off with eerie, ambient noise for the first 20 second before a cacophony of guitars and drums flows from the speakers in a flood of black metal. There is a nice underlying melody to this aggressively paced track that gives the song a nice layered dynamic. The vocals seem that much more urgent and ferocious as the band shifts quickly from a mid paced tempo to a demonic sprint into hell.

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A pleasant surprise in an ever growing glut of black metal, Lake of Fire embrace the underground feel, but also push their skills into otherworldly realms of evil with blasting rhythms, melodic guitars and desolate landscapes. Heed the Primal Calling is just what every malcontent needs in their daily consumption of metal.

Favorite Tracks:
All of them

Additional Notes:
N/A