Black Lotus - Harvest OF Seasons [Bleak Art Records 2008]



Black Lotus is a Canadian black metal band, that so far has been released on a Chinese label, if not counting their self released EP 'The Great Mortality' from 2007, which lead to the signing with fellow Canadian label Bleak Art Records. I'm not sure I've encountered the band before this release, if I do, it obvious hasn't made an impression, though if I haven't I am bound to check out their earlier works.

It has taken a little while for me to get into the universe of Black Lotus, the intro killed a lot for me in the start, I'm starting to find such ambient soundscapes boring, if the line isn't continued in the musical picture. The music also seemed a bit stale in the beginning, Norse styled black metal mixed with clean folk inspired pieces with a rough clean male vocal, which made me think of older Borknagar.

Though after a while, the music became charming and gripping. The production is nice and raw, and that made some of the symphonic and atmospheric elements drown a bit, though the more the album has been spinning, the more have those parts worked their way through the production and made their impact.

The band does a decent job, they've made some good tunes and delivers them well. The clean male vocal seems a bit odd here and there, though that's a matter of perception. The straight ahead black metal parts with some atmospheric keys here and there works fine, and the folk parts the band weave in and out is a nice spice to the overall atmosphere. A release Black Lotus can be proud of and worth checking out if you are into the style! Much more than a rip off band, great rasping vocals, noisy basslines and chaotic fast drumming and nice song writing!

www.blacklotusmusic.net

Kindly supplied by Bleak Art Records