Ba’al - Ellipsism

Angry Metal Guy

Post-black and blackened post metal. The same thing, surely? I would argue no. Post-black metal tends to rely on lengthy, brooding atmospheric passages, interspersed with blasts of black metal fury. Blackened post metal, on the other hand, should be towering, mesmerizing riffs with that vicious black metal edge to proceedings. Sheffield, UK’s Ba’al have been knocking around since 2016, putting out EPs in their first year and then in 2019 also, but the absolute shitshow that is 2020 sees this four piece dropping their debut full-length, Ellipsism. Billed as blackened post metal, are Ba’al going to deliver me the nasty, blackened, chunky post-metal that I desperately want or is this going to be run of the mill post-black?

Straight out the gate, I know I’m in for a treat from Ba’al, as opening track “Long Live” crashes into life with some nasty black metal slapped over a simmering, mid-tempo, post-metal rhythm and the harsh, howled vocals of Hecate Enthroned’s Joe Stamps. As the ten-minute opener progresses — just as I would expect from any good post metal — it ambles through various moods, including shimmering, feedback-laden atmospherics, a Cult of Luna-worthy study in captivating chugging riffs and, by the end, a monstrous post-doom vibe that immediately conjured Ahab for me. Following this with another eight-minute epic, “An Orchestra of Flies,” Ba’al aren’t afraid to shift up through the gears and launch into full blast beats and tremolo-picked riffing but these sections are short lived. Nick Gosling’s oceanic riffs and Stamps’ harrowing screams take on some of the suffocating sorrow of Ghost Brigade in the track’s latter stages, setting up a perfect transition into the haunting instrumental interlude “XIV-I-MMXIX.”

As Ellipsism progresses, it’s unquestionably post-metal — rather than atmospheric post-black — as it traverses moods and genre tropes aplenty. What Ba’al do particularly well, however, is the actual shifts, in both style and tempo. Though these transitions are often sudden, with the tempest stuttering almost to a halt or abruptly accelerating back to full storm force, they are never jarring. Even as “Tarred and Feathered” hits a groove that approaches blackened thrash, before shifting down into crushing staccato rhythms and then further down to those Ahab-like depths, every mood swing is buttery smooth. Much of the credit for this must go to drummer Luke Rutter, who is stellar throughout and on the heart-wrenching “Father, the Sea, the Moon,” in particular.

The emotional weight of Ellipsism — and that is heavy indeed — lies in Ba’al’s unwillingness to stand still or re-tread old ground. Even 50 minutes in, as they move into massive album closer “Rosalia” — which is drenched in heavy Sólstafir ambience — I was carried along on the swelling tide of misery these Sheffield boys create. Clocking in at just over an hour, however, there is a lot to digest on Ellipsism, perhaps just slightly too much. Although taking it out would only have shaved off a couple of minutes, I could definitely, for example, have done without the spoken-word-and-drone interlude “X-I-MCMXCII.” I do not mean to suggest that Ellipsism drags. It does not. But taking just five or maybe ten minutes off the album’s runtime could have tightened and sharpened an already impressive record. Ellipsism sounds vital and natural with some rough edges, but it’s all well balanced and weighty, just as it should be.

The blackened, and at times fully black metal, edges to Ba’al’s post-metal sound lends harsh, bleak notes to the sorrowful journey Ellipsism took me on. This raging storm sometimes hits maelstrom territory, while at other times Ba’al lead the listener into the quiet eye of the storm for a moment’s breather. For a debut, Ellipsism is very good and showcases some strong songwriting, with numerous different influences and styles blended well. It is, I think, a little too long, but overall Ba’al have put together a captivating and emotional record.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Clobber Records
Websites: cvltofbaal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/baalsheff
Releases Worldwide: October 30th, 2020

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