GERSEY DEOFUL – Autumnal Emanation

What we have here is well-played and memorable 4-track rehearsal recording by the US black metal outfit named Gersey Deoful. In case you are wondering, the name is a wordplay on “Jersey Devil” as in the creepy and enigmatic creature from New Jersey folklore. How fucking cool is that?!

As raw as a bleeding wound and filled with anger, despair, and longing, this is a fabulous slab of melodically strong underground black metal with quite a few nods to both the second-wave style of the genre and the more depressive variant in terms of riffing, arrangements, and the rather harsh and caustic vocals. However, there is something about this bleak little musical gem of theirs that sets it apart from most others, which has to do with the atmosphere of the compositions. Those deep-seated feelings of yearning and the howls of inner turmoil that flow from the song material makes for a highly intense and emotional listening experience, and there is a sense of purpose, direction, and meaning to Autumnal Emanation. On top of that, the bass lines are wicked beyond belief not to mention that there is a certain charm to an unpolished and crude recording that possesses spirit and a proper sense of melancholy such as this one. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to this skilled horde’s full-length album.

Favorite track: the epic ‘Emanation 3’.