REVEAL Nocturne of Eyes and Teeth CD

Reveal’s debut was a sudden fist in the face that struck many by surprise and completely unpreparedly. Waster, the ashes of which they rose from, were hardly known outside the borders of Uppsala; and not many knew of Reveal when ‘Nocturne Of Eyes And Teeth’ was unleashed via High Roller last year, who again proved of their good sense for magnificient music. With the gold vinyl edition being quickly sold out, it’s weird it is that there are still copies left of the remaining 400 black versions one year on. April 2012 will now finally see Invictus Productions providing for the long-time overdue CD release. Reveal’s initiation starts with a short and random intro, which basically is just a noise but fuels curiosity of what’s lying in wait, followed by a heavy hail of riffs that sound occult, powerful and ancient at the same time. As soon as with the first note, Reveal create an immediate, overwhelming atmosphere which persists throughout the entire record and marks just one of the unique trademarks of this band. If you, like me, find pleasure in the sound of Samael’s first two albums, Master’s Hammer’s ‘Ritual’, Rotting Christ’s ‘Ade’s Wind’ demo or Repugnant’s ‘Epitome Of Darkness’, than you will simply love ‘Nocturne Of Eyes And Teeth’ to bits. It’s been a long time since a record’s sound has had so much depth and force. The extremely pressuresome guitars, a crepitant bass and a snare, bass drum and toms that can only be described as massive, represent a masterpiece of sound engineering. An intense reverberation on the vocals from start to finish is just the icing on a cake that is anything but sweet. In combination with Ghost’s voice, the vocals are very different to your average band; not just the usual evil and grim, but beastly and downright menacing; full of fever and fervency and they will keep echoing on in your head long after the record’s last note has ceased. While remaining within their very vein at all times, they still prove to be extremely adaptive to the different moods of the songs. It’s a subtle but effective diversification without really altering; unobvious to superficial consideration, hence very impressive. Musically the band isn’t facing any problems keeping up with the quality of sound and vocals. Generally fast and dangerous, Reveal subject themselves to no boundaries. They’re easily switching back and forth between old-school Thrash and ancient Death riffs – just like Sarcofago did in their early days - blending in some Black and Heavy Metal elements, as well as a good deal of groove and Doom – most prominently of course on the last track ‘Death’, with its almost eight minutes running time the perfect sinister finisher that lives from its tonally towering atmosphere, and which lets the album still haunt you for quite a while after it’s faded. Single leads are penetrating the material, thus loosening it up; quite a melodic, gentle undertone to it at times helps adding further appeal. Creepy, eerie solos and subtly applied effects such as distorted choirs, a phaser or thunder-like roaring provide ‘Nocturne Of Eyes And Teeth’ with a very special touch that proves vital in procreating the unique and cryptic flair of this record. Subtle in general seems to be the crucial word when talking about Reveal. Although on the whole the music is massive and pretty straight-forward, ‘Nocturne Of Eyes And Teeth’ lives from details in abundance. There is a lot to discover if you let yourself into it, and it is the entirety of all those subtle details that makes Reveal absolutely fascinating on this album. Mellow arrangements - well thought-through – ensure a huge deal of coherence and authenticity of the songs, and are just another guarantor for maintaining interest in and awareness of this record for a longer period of time. As a result, Reveal certainly have a great potential of standing the test of time. Although they don’t reinvent the wheel, it is the perfect symbiosis of delicate arrangements and the powerful old school riffs in combination with the sound, effects and execution which makes this an outstanding record. A staggering overall structure paired with a merciless determination, the foul odour of ancient extreme Metal and something really quite menacing to it makes this the perfect album for anyone seeking for a band that’s got the old days’ marrow, but with a twist. The better part of the songs sounds like it actually stems from ’89, and ever since it ran for the first time I’ve got this strange familiarity with it; the constant immediate feeling as if I have known this record for many years. This is surely the most impressive thing about it. With just under half an hour total running time it is a rather short one though, which is why the repeat button is on permanent duty. ‘Nocturne Of Eyes And Teeth’ is covering new grounds without leaving the realms of – for want of a less worn-out word – old school. If this won’t convince you to give it a go, you cannot be helped. This is grandeur! Highlights: ‘Under The Temple’ , ‘Flowers And Bones’, ‘Blue Demon’, ‘Death’