Tartarus: Of Grimness And Atrocity

Tartarus are a black metal four piece hailing from the United Arab Emirates (where else? I hear you cry!), and the gently titled Of Grimness And Atrocity (nobody's going to confuse this with the latest release from The Poodles now, are they?) is their debut EP. Hitting the shelves (or whatever physical releases hit these days) in 2014 this short effort comprising an intro, an Emperor cover and three full songs, announced this band with little ceremony. This is black metal presented with no little enthusiasm, but at the same time, without any hugely lasting impact.

All the elements are there, rasping vocals, snare assaults which work at break neck speed, a wall of ripping guitars and pointed bass which ramps up throughout every track. The Emperor cover, "I Am The Black Wizards" highlights the strengths and weaknesses displayed here, a faithful but uneventful slab of blackness given plenty of energy but little individual vision."Cosmic Storms" hints that Tartarus may be able to expand into something with a little more depth of character, a less throw it all in approach revealing a power not felt when all of the nuances hoped for are simply laid bare in one fell swoop. The drumming is tight and forceful, and the blend of guitar and bass works well, so there's no doubt that this outfit could, with a little more risk taking, rise above the standard fare served up here. As it is this is a solid start from a band which just about hints at more.

Track Listing
1.Seshot  
2.Axes (of Hatred)  
3.Cosmic Storms  
4.Of Grimness and Atrocity  
5. I Am the Black Wizards (Emperor cover)

Added: April 4th 2015
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Tartarus on Bandcamp
Hits: 1534
Language: english

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