Review Summary: HELLO GEORGIE!!!!!!!!!!
The last time I gave Bone Fragments a proper listen I was seated in user Hyperion's former residence in South Carolina back in the year 2012. I was captivated by the duo's debut record Dark Amusement, a charmingly modest black metal record punctuated by carnival-esque melodies and clown themes. I smiled, I jammed, I wrote. The year is 2017 and I find myself drawn back to the fold. Partially because of 2016's clowndemic, partially because I currently love scaring the *** out of my girlfriend with my clown mask and partially because I just recently discovered that Bone Fragments put out an album last year. A damn good one that ups their clown/carnival theme ante at that.
Phantom Wound is the Virginia duo's latest record and I like it a lot. It features stronger songwriting and better production values than the previous records in addition to numerous creepy instrumental passages and theatrical keyboard flourishes that elevate their mad circus theme. As expected, black metal shrieks that sound like they're coming from a nasty clown that's fond of eating fat kids at a local Golden Coral are prevalent. Additionally, their synths have become more prominent which really allow them to capitalize on their campy niche. Tremolo picking, soloing and acoustic passages also contribute mightily to their oddball blend of themes and ideas.
There are 9 songs on this record with the bulk of the albums tracks being more atmospheric and unnervingly ambient while the last few tracks utilize more of their black metal influence. It's metal with circus keyboards and clown themes. What else is there to say? What's not to like? I love gimmicky *** baby and Bone Fragments can disembowel me any day.
