VEIN – Blood Oaths

The American black metal combo known as Vein specializes in raw, claustrophobic, and downright oppressive music of the most loathsome and sinister kind. These twisted fucks manage to weave a thick and nasty atmosphere together by means of simple yet efficiently dark riffs, sick effects, and demented vocals, and the prevailing vibe of its eight songs is one of intense anguish and unrelenting misanthropy. Blood Oaths is one that has kept growing on me these past couple of weeks as it contains some rather interesting layers and nuances that gradually reveal themselves the more you spin the disc and digest its content. In many respects, the LP is one of those slow-burning blackened delights that very much depends on the mood of the listener in order to reveal and unleash its true power and potency, and I must say that when the mood strikes then tracks such as ‘Malign Blood Oath’ and ‘Bloodstained Symmetry’ are all-out engrossing affairs.

Godz or War Productions have unearthed and released more remarkable and notable records than this one, and the thing is that Blood Oaths would have come across as more cohesive and solid in terms of quality had the band omitted a couple of pieces, more specifically ‘Total Vascular Collapse’ and ‘L.S.D.’ – both of which are superfluous. In the overall perspective, the record is a sickening slab of ugly black metal and certainly worth investigating on your part but trust me when I say that it will leave you in a foul fucking mood, which is most likely what Vein intended as well. Goal accomplished.