The Ruins of Beverast - Unlock the Shrine

Genre(s) - Black metal
Origin - Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany
Year of release - 2004
Bitrate - 128 kbps
Size - 66.09 MB

You know, this really isn't an easy album to review. Starting point may be the sole membership of Alexander von Meilenwald, the drummer - and he is a fantastic drummer, believe you me - of the late and great Nagelfar. Now, Nagelfar are a band I got the hots for, and The Ruins of Beverast , I guess, is of the same complexity and the songwriting is unmistakenly reminiscent, though to me it seems like this "band" incorporates elements from between two bands from the same family tree: Graupel's production and some of Verdunkeln's approach towards atmosphere. Von Meilenwald doesn't call it "oppressive black metal" without a reason. It hits like a train and still instils a feeling of horror and alienation. Recommended tracks are Between Bronze Walls which is really beautiful and ever more so towards the end, and Summer Decapitation Ritual, packing a riff like only a Nagelfar member could have written it.

1. Between bronze walls
2. Skeleton coast
3. Euphoria when the bombs fell
4. God sent no sign
5. The clockhand's groaning circles
6. Procession of pawns
7. Summer decapitation ritual
8. Cellartunes
9. Unlock the shrine
10. Subterranean homicide lament
11. The mine
12. White abyss
    

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