Review Summary: A high-quality slab of frightening, atmospheric, filthy US black metal and one formidable debut
“The Spoor Of Vipers” is the first album from Ustalost, which is a side project of Yellow Eyes’ Will Skarstad. Ustalost is, supposedly, a Russian word for “fatigue”. This is appropriate since I discovered them during a recent bout of insomnia and that this music sounds like something out of a fever-induced nightmare that would leave one weak, weary, and terrified.
“The Spoor Of Vipers” is a six-track black metal journey. The first two minutes of the first track are a demonstration of what you can expect from this album. A synthesizer fades in, playing an eerie, droning, flanging chord. After almost one minute, the first volley is let loose: a hellish inferno of blast beats, propulsive bass, terrifying guitar, and what sounds like a chorus of the damned reminiscent of the intro to Celtic Frost’s “Into the Crypts of Rays”. Not long after this, the tempo is cut and the atmospheric chording starts along with Will’s tortured shrieks. From here on out, we are confronted with jarring tempo changes and chord changes that range from almost beautiful to almost horrific. This album is almost like a demented take on old Burzum, but not derivative.
The songs are well-crafted, their chord changes, tempos, and riffs painting vivid pictures of despair with the occasional relief that veers quite close to beauty. There are twists and turns every minute, and rarely does one part of any track overstay its welcome (there are a couple exceptions, but they end eventually). The lo-fi production does not take away from Ustalost’s soundscapes, but rather enhances them in a way that sharp, clear production would not. Each song bleeds into the next, whether with keyboards or feedback.
Instrumentation is solid throughout. The drums - whether live or programmed - are sturdy, and the bass guitar often provides a great counterpoint to the guitar. The guitars are carcinogenic and searing, going from icepick-in-your-forehead tremolo picking to dense chording to atonal arpeggios in the blink of a viper’s eye. Keyboards are all throughout the album, always present and providing atmospheric foundation to the proceedings. Each instrument has its own place in the mix, never overpowering or subverting another element during any of the songs: quite a feat for this type of production.
The vocals throughout the album are filled with pain and fury. There is not one clean vocal on this album. There are no available lyrics available for this album, and the songs are not-so-cleverly entitled I through VI, which give us no clues to what Will is shrieking about. Through it all, he sounds tortured and menacing, and I shudder to think what he is howling about.
“The Spoor Of Vipers” is a powerful debut album. It is primitive, atmospheric, claustrophobic, blood-curdling, terrifying, and inspiring. It frightens me, and yet I can't stop listening to it. Ustalost has set the bar quite high with its first release, and I hope this album is just a foretaste of the grim feast to come.
Standout tracks: I, II, and IV
