Teratism – Via Negativa (2010)

Two years after “Pure Unadulterated Hate”, USBM band Teratism is finally back with another hard-hitting grim as fuck Black Metal release that will rattle your insides. With a full-on devil worshipping and the occult concept, Teratism is one of the top flight USBM bands this days and with “Via Negativa” the have pushed their diabolic sound to new heights.

Summer time is the time for warm weather and sunny skies, but Teratism creates a very thick and chilling atmosphere with a relentless Black Metal attack very similar to its Nordic counterparts that will bring forth darkness and bleakness to any sunny day. “Via Negativa” has a very raw sound to it, but it never feels like it was recorded in a shed or a toilet; the production highlights the raw and destructive sound of the band while maintaining enough quality to rival any big budget BM production.

The highlight of “Via Negativa” has to be the raw shrieks of agony of Wrath, the band’s vocalist. Teratism’s vocalist does a great job at producing a truly hellish performance that will unsettle any BM fan, and he can almost be compared Pest, our favorite BM vocalist of all time. The guitar work is dirty and grim creating a very nihilistic atmosphere, and while other bands focus on ridiculous amounts of repetition, Teratism has a wide variety of riffs and guitar structures to keep even the most demanding listeners engaged.

The drumming is intense enough to keep a BM release together, but since “Via Negativa” is a more ‘melodic’ album, there is no need for countless double-kick sections and acrobatics. The bass guitar line provided by Gilles de Rais (ex Vesperian Sorrow, and ex- Catholicon) is very intense and well mixed, allowing it to mark it’s destructive path in the band’s music.

While there are countless USBM bands these days only a few of them are actually pretty good, and Teratism is right there with the likes of Nightbringer, etc. For over 50 minutes we get cold and grim Black Metal that up until a few years ago only the Nordic bands excelled at creating. “Via Negativa” comes with a very professional packaging and a 12 page booklet that represents the atmosphere of the music, unlike the rest of the poorly presented and poorly sounding BM releases these days.

If you are looking for a true Black Metal journey from start to end, look no further and get “Via Negativa”. This album is one of the best USBM this year, and will surely find its way creeping into your constant BM rotation.

Release: June 2010

Country: USA