Youth in Ribbons

Nightmarish Raw Black Metal

Revenant Marquis came to my attention while checking the discography of another great modern Raw Black Metal Band, Lamp of Murmuur. Even though Lamp of Murmuur tracks were the clear highlights of that amazing split album, I found the Revenant Marquis songs pretty engaging and I decided to give it a go! The closest release to that split would be this album, which actually exceeded my expectations!

The first strength that I noticed while listening was the amazing blend of melancholic and aggressive soundscpaes in the songwriting department (which is pretty semi-original if you ask me! most of the Raw bands that I come across usually get stuck to one side!).

Most notably, this strength can be felt on the guitar layering. This is one of the best layerings I've ever encountered for sure! The lead guitar is playing an almost psychedelic, nihilistic, nightmarish riff (that kinda reminds me of Oranssi Pazuzu) while the other layer(s) is providing the grim ambience.

Also, some of the lead riffs (for example, tracks 4 and 9) have an Eastern flavour, which adds to the obscurity!

The vocals are incredibly suppressed and deep in the mix (much like most Raw Black Metal Bands!) and it gives a very chilling vibe to the album. It almost feels like a tortured animal which is howling at the bottom of a well!

The drumming is very powerful and pretty punchy but I personally would have prefered a different recording technique to be honest! It almost sounds like the mic is too close (or even inside the drums or that the drums are torn at some places! Other than this minor setback, I find the production pretty badass!

Favourite song? Easy! TASKERMILWARD! What a banger!!!

Overall, this is one of the few "Raw Black Metal" albums that I really enjoy relistening these days. Alright, the first couple of tracks are not that perfect, but it gets better towards the end and that eighth track is a beast! Highly Recommended!