CHARNEL VALLEY

"The Dark Archives" was "arranged, rehearsed and recorded in five days with two microphones and preserved with a cassette 8-track, to uphold the true spirit of analog." That quote from the CD sleeve should tell you about all you need to know about this trashcan black metal vanity project of metal journalist colleagues Marty "Worm Gear" Rytkonen and S. Craig Zahler. With a logo more chock full of goings-on than the earliest DEATH moniker, a pencil-drawn front cover that screams "tr00 kvlt 8th grade art class," and production straight out of the bowels of hell's rec room (turned down so Mom doesn't pitch a fit),CHARNEL VALLEY leaves no doubt whatsoever where they stand.

Those who fiend for the primitive scraping minimalism of DARKTHRONE and early BURZUM will find much to enjoy in CHARNEL VALLEY's bass-less, off the rails, make-it-up-as-you-go approach. This EP makes DESTROYER 666 sound like QUEEN, production-wise, and wears its atavistic heart proudly on its denim sleeve. Blast beats are used, but sparingly, and to good effect — the loose thrash beat on "Demonic Science" is much more effective at channeling those old HELLHAMMER ghosts anyway. Fuckups and amp buzz only contribute to the live and lethal subterranean feel.

There's an old saw about critics being unable to rock, but I think at the underground level, it helps a band to have a couple walking encyclopedias of black metal on board. They know what works, they've heard the lukewarm results of bands who overthink this style and gussy it up too much, and they have an ear for just where to put each sparse, dry idea to create a primeval atmosphere. CHARNEL VALLEY is hardly essential listening, but for fans of this sort of filthy, bone-basic blackness, it'll be quite a satisfying listen. Now if only there could be a drunken, impromptu CHARNEL VALLEY performance at the Metal Maniacs Christmas party, we could have a DVD too.