Review Summary: Craven Idol has delivered a stunning sophomore album that showcases the best of both black and thrash metal.
The blending of genres is nothing new in the realm of extreme metal. Bands attempting to shatter the boundaries of a singular style have become increasingly common, often to the point of the invention of entirely new categories of music being coined to fit an ever-growing pool of bands eager to make their names known. Unfortunately, many of these endeavours result in a tangled web of influences, each fighting each other for the spotlight throughout the runtime of the album. Such is not the case with The Shackles of Mammon, the sophomore effort from UK thrashers Craven Idol. The merger of black metal and thrash metal present here is nothing short of inspired, showcasing the best of what each genre has to offer.
The group’s newest ode to debauchery and evil rears its demonic head within seconds. Blackened tremolo riffing builds unnerving pressure, until shrieking vocals appear and cut through the mid-paced blasts, foretelling what is to come in the next three-quarters of an hour. Indeed, much of the album’s length is fueled by frenetic drumming and technical, grimy guitarwork that has no problem destroying everything in its path. The transitions from black metal to thrashy mayhem and back are absolutely seamless. Craven Idol proves that they are quite comfortable delving into both musical domains, producing dark, blackened insanity along with the soloing wizardry that one usually associates with bands such as Sodom or Slayer. The intensity of the music is inescapable as the guitars weave their way through riff after haunting riff, creating an atmosphere that is at once desolate and apoplectic. The vocals in particular deserve an immense amount of praise. While they never stray too far from the high-pitched screaming that has become the mainstay of black metal, the enormous force of the utterings dispensed over the album’s duration is titanic and quite terrifying at times. The shrieks and wails unleashed here sound totally unhinged and go quite well with the turbulent guitar and drum patterns.
While the majority of The Shackles of Mammon is directed toward a blasting assault that seeks to render the eardrums useless, Craven Idol is unafraid of bringing the tempo down a few notches which brings with it a diversity rarely found in this brand of metal. “The Trudge” is the most obvious example of this tendency, with much of its length devoted to steady chugging riffs and moody tremolo picking. The band also uses similar techniques to great effect in several of the more speedy tracks, allowing a small but sufficient amount of breathing room for the listener. Maelstroms of lightspeed percussion give way to crawling beats and a sunless aura. While the tracks present here are energetic and fiery, there is no doubt that the members of Craven Idol desire nothing less than to leave the listener completely drained by the album’s elongated, slow-burning finish. Yet, the urge to begin again the destruction of the senses with a push of a button is almost overwhelming.
A filthy wonder in the world of blackened thrash, The Shackles of Mammon is a definite highlight of modern metal and nothing short of exceptional. Each track is full of memorable moments that bring forth a fascinating amalgamation of inaccessibility and catchiness. There is plenty on display here that is sure to please fans of both black and thrash metal alike, as well as newcomers to extreme metal. Craven Idol’s newest album is without a doubt one of the most intense, powerful, and wicked albums of the year, and one that deserves countless plays.
