Ancestor / Unlight Domain - split CD (2008)

 

 Cost: $1.00

I must admit I tend to gravitate (often irrationally) towards metal from more "exotic" locales, even though  the novelty in that is mostly long gone.  With modern technology, someone from the most obscure place can make an awesome Sodom or Hellhammer sounding recording, although of course it unfortunately almost always goes the other way, and trends merely extend to every far corner of the world.

This is an OK but mostly unremarkable split of two Cuban black metal bands.  Both are Nordic-influenced BM in line with the majority of the Latin American modern BM scene since the late '90s (I associate this style with a lot of smaller Brazilian bands that appropriately, often released split CDs).  Ancestor seem to have better guitarwork and riff ideas, although the drumming is really monotonous (I'm thinking it might be triggered or an electronic kit).  Unlight Domain put their own typewriter drums up high in the mix, which doesn't do them any favors.  Initially I thought they were even more monotonous sounding than Ancestor, but there are some tempo variations in the last few tracks that make them a lot more listenable.

This doesn't reach bottom of the barrel for black metal, and considering the dollar price, it's pretty decent.  But I'll say it again and again--this is a ridiculously oversaturated genre, and neither band is all that remarkable.