Oskoreien, Oskoreien, Pest Productions, CD PEST048 (2010)
“Oskoreien” is an intriguing addition to the world of nature-oriented Cascadian black metal, all the more so as Oskoreien is a solo project of a young musician, Jim Valena, aged 21 years old when he recorded this. A photograph of Valena in the CD package shows a serious and determined young fella with a bold look in his eyes. His style is an aggressive and raw-sounding battering-ram of churning distorted rhythm guitar, thudding percussion and vicious BM vocals; I only wish the whole thing had been recorded with a clearer production because I suspect it would have been much sharper and more 3-D in shape. But as it is, it’s heroic stuff to listen to and even quite epic in parts with plenty of atmosphere to thrill to.
Opener “Illusions Perish” does just that, sweeping away any idealistic notions that the materialist life we currently enjoy and all the pretensions and delusions about our place in the world that go with it are temporary and will disappear, leaving us void of substance and purpose. The mood is melancholy yet sure of itself. There is something desperate and tragic in a Romantic way here: the song comes from a prophet fresh out the wild forests crying out a message of apocalypse to humanity, only to be jeered and insulted, then persecuted and executed for daring to question our way of life and our unthinking race into self-destruction. “Entropic Collapse” is an astoundingly meaty track with a slow, pounding beat and a massive raw sound. A chorus of male singers is the unexpected stand-out element of this track which also features some death-metal drumbeats in parts and a searing lead guitar solo. As the track progresses, it becomes post-rock melodic and repetitive.
Trust me, it gets better … “River of Eternity” is an introspective dark forest folk-guitar instrumental with near-flamenco touches. The theme is interesting: it might be based on German writer Hermann Hesse’s novel “Siddhartha”, about a man who seeks enlightenment and finds it in the most unexpected ways. “Transcendence” follows with a gentle meditative introduction that turns abruptly into all-out epic post-rock / BM melodic juggernaut battery with thunderous rolling drums, occasional acoustic mood guitar and more savage reverb-touched vocals backed by a heroic choir. Outro track “Ashen Remains” is an all-acoustic funereal dirge played on piano with strong reverb; the melancholy atmosphere here is strongly reminiscent of old Godspeed You Black Emperor and its off-shoot The Silver Mt Zion Orchestra.
The album isn’t much different from much other Cascadian black metal I’ve heard; Wolves in the Throne Room are an obvious point of comparison and they have used some music that veers close to a desert-Western sound. Other Cascadian BM bands like Fauna and Echtra use more ambient and even some synthesiser-based effects and it wouldn’t hurt Oskereien to use some synthesiser sounds or even some orchestral touches like the odd cello or harp.
With this album, imperfect as it is, Jim Valena has emphatically called attention to his project as a potential major player in Cascadian black metal and beyond. He needs an original angle on his themes of the coming environmental apocalypse and humanity’s need to overcome its materialism if the music is to stay fresh and vigorous. Wolves in the Throne Room could provide an inspiration with their musicians’ life-style, based on farming and sustainablity, and L’Acephale could be an intellectual role model.
Contact: Jim Valena, Pest Productions