SPECTRES & TEETH – NO MAGICK SPAWNS! EP (Into Endless Chaos Records)

Hope I’m not putting two and two together and getting five here but I’m confidently assuming that Kringa pair Vritra (AKA Spectres) and Berstuk (sometimes known as Teeth) are the duo behind Spectres & Teeth – the evidence seems to be pretty incriminating. Anyhow, ‘No Magick Spawns!’ is a superb consignment of weird and wonderful Black Metal from the dungeons of Linz, containing many of the infectious and off-the-wall trademarks that make both Kringa and Hagzissa so compelling. Anybody who enjoys either of those bands should perhaps check this out.

While it might be only 19 minutes long, this EP makes quite the impact with its outlandish drunken vocals and abhorrent, murky riffs, embedded in the old school but with a demented, twisted hue all of their own. At a time when Black Metal is becoming increasingly derivative, safe and boring, it’s refreshing to hear music that is respectful of the rough underground origins of the subgenre yet authentic and relevant in its own right.

The six repulsive offerings to be found on ‘No Magick Spawns!’ are caked in filth and grime, raw and analogue, rising from some subterranean cavern with total disregard for convention or expectation. Thus, the music is natural, organic, coming across as improvised and from the soul, although there is obviously method in and some sort of planning behind the madness.

The musicianship is top class and it’s uncanny how much variety these demons can subtly inject into such a short recording. Lyrics and presentation are very much in line with the approach of the aforementioned Kringa and Hagzissa. All things considered, this is a welcome breath of fresh air that arrived from Nowhere, Upper Austria.

Evilometer: 666/666