Do Skonu – Womb of Primeval Darkness (2011)

We are always skeptical about underground Black Metal releases since they are usually really bad, but to our surprise (and enjoyment) Forever Plagued Records re-release of Do Skonu’s debut full-length “Womb of Primeval Darkness” is a winner. This release showcases bands that has great songwriting skills, but are heavily damaged by the crappy production behind the original recording of this album.

As we mentioned, the whole sound is a bit muffled in the sense that you can hear the excellent riffing, but the drumming and bass guitar get drowned away by being fused into a big lump. The vocals are also pretty crisp, but the overall experience is similar to the ones we used to have when the cassette player was crapping out and destroying our tapes back in the day. Aside from the sound issues (of the original recording we assume), this release is one hell of an album that any Black Metal fan should take note.

With all the lyrics, song titles, and album name translated to English, we are actually able to understand what is going on and know which song we are talking about. The opener “Storm from the Depths of the Aeon” is a punishing first track that has heaps of powerful riffs and an excellent flow. The drumming is furious and mixes well with the song, but when the double kick comes in it just gets really muffled. The hellish vocals are enough to creep out your neighbors, similar to bands like Watain and such that do not need to rely on shrieks to make their music effective.

The band pummels through tracks like “The Grin of Cold Emptiness” and “The Fire of Ancient Rituals” with a commanding power that is only notable in ‘experienced’ bands, making Do Skonu a very interesting entity to follow. “The Fire of Ancient Rituals” bass guitar line is pretty sick, and only gets obscured when the double kick comes into the mix. The atmospheric elements like the crickets and owl sounds are downright creepy and will scare anybody when played at pitch dark.

Closing with the epic “Strangled”, the band delivers nearly 10 minutes of high-octane Black Metal that has very well crafted riffs and effective slowdowns and melodic sections that are just perfect for headbanging. The atmospheric component of this release is not used much, but when the band brings it fort it greatly enhances the songs and the flow of the album. If you are looking for dark and harsh Black Metal, we highly recommend “Womb of Primeval Darkness”. Even with the muffled sounds, this album deserves to be heard by all fans of the genre.

Release: 2011

Country: Ukraine