Phil Anselmo’s penchant for extreme metal is very well known. However what is not so well known is his black metal project Viking Crown the line-up of which comprises of his ex-wife opal Anselmo and Necorphagia band mate Killjoy. Being a keen fan of both Pantera and Necrophagia I must admit I had certain expectations from this album. Suffice to say that I was completely wrong. Because Viking crown is ‘shockingly’ different from anything you might have imagined.
Even Phil will agree that black metal is not everyone’s cup of tea. The genre has a true underground cult nature and thus serves a limited audience. Even if you come up with something brilliant, commercial success is not guaranteed. But it seems that being a side band, Viking crown has given its creators a licence to experiment and breathe life into their fantasies. I see no other possible explanation for the band’s existence.
Banished rhythmic hate is what you call a true ‘raw’ black metal album. There seems to be a deliberate effort on the part of the band to keep the sound as muddy and lo-fi as possible. Perhaps it is a way to express utter nihilism and contempt of the human race through extremely chaotic yet rhythmically simple riffing. For newcomers, the tracks may sound like extremely poorly produced and downright amateurish demos, but this is what attaches uniqueness to this effort. The instrumental tracks have a grim/doomy feel to it, thanks to the orchestral efforts. The chorus lends an ambience which is very negative and creepy. What is basically old skool trash is turned into a demonic, unearthly force by an overdose of distortion. Trebles have been tuned to a bare minimum and the bass is altogether missing. Further there is a inherent timing problem as the drums are always trying to catch up with the guitar. There is hardly any apparent difference between tracks other than the odd speed changes. Imagine Conqueror or Beherit having a really bad day and you’ll get the drift. Devoted as I am to black metal, I find these effects to my liking to a certain extent. But unless you are a true junkie, stay away from this one.