Uzlaga - Longitude Review
Atmospheric Black Metal | UK |
Atmospheric Black Metal | UK |
The UK produces some phenomenal Black Metal and newcomers to the scene Uzlaga proves that. Hydrophant’s solo project only has two albums out and you can already see the immense maturity and progression in his second album, Longitude.
Nautical themes are something that hits close to home on this small island and with such a rich history of naval battles, Uzlaga shows us the wretchedness and awe of the unforgiving waves. Taking historical naval battles, and wars as the inspirations for the lyrical content, this is one album that bellows with the drowned voices of the sea.
This is a streamlined, brutal, cannon-blast of Black Metal!
Intro (October 1707) starts out atmospheric and moody and is accompanied by keyboards to create an eerie start to the album. The keyboards are a little disconnected, some of the drums sound a little over-processed, and there are a few timing issues, but you can see the feeling that Hydrophant is going for; morbid acceptance of the fate of those who perished in the Scilly naval disaster. It’s not hard to imagine yourself there knowing what watery grave awaits you.
HMS Association is quite heavy and has a pretty chunky riff giving off a death vibe to the track. The initially simplistic drum pattern has several changes in the first two minutes and halfway through goes into a much darker, more traditional territory. The vocals are quite unique as they create an auspicious dissonance with a faint yet static effect like a harrowing scream of desperation. Truly fitting for the lyrical nature of the album.
HMS Eagle starts off heavy, distorted with another bold riff. It made me want to put on my naval stompin’ boots and stomp on some necks! The drums also have some pretty clean tempo changes that meld well with what sounds like an almost post-rock riff. About 2.10 mins in though the tempo changes again into a much heavier Doom sound, ominous and foreboding. The variation is quite effective and the songs get progressively more dynamic.
HMS Romney started off ok, although not particularly knocking my socks off. It was blast beat central right before 1.20 min in when this brutal Doom ambience hit, but holy fuck is it ever epic! You can really hear that Hydrophant has trimmed the fat from the previous album and is giving us only the most aquatically brilliant of compositions. Rhythm kicks in with harrowing guitar in the background accompanied by static vocals. The combination is a great segue for the second last full-length and best track on the album HMS Firebrand.
The deceptively slow Doom-esque intro with droning guitar and drums makes way for a rhythmic military drum beat before breaking down into something much more brutal. This song alone will make you buy the album. This is perfected mayhem! The way the exceptional riff evolves from treble-heavy into a fuller sound will make you BANG. YOUR. FUCKING. HEAD! The wailing guitar riff that hits at 2.55 just left me wanting more. Couple this with the faint screeching vocals in the background created the perfect atmosphere, right before returning into a more militaristic drumbeat. I hope to see more of this brutal shit from the next album!
The brief outro was also very fitting for the overall feel of the album. Although, I feel the outro fit much better and brought out a disparaging ambience more than Intro (October 1707).
Overall, the album has absolute gems. It shows immense promise and talent. I personally can’t play worth a shite so do take my opinion with a lot of grains of salt, but as a listener, I’ve already added several tracks to my liked Spotify playlist. It’s clear this lad has a place in the UKBM scene, and I’m eager to hear more! Here’s hoping for an Uzlaga live show in which I will be front and centre!
Written by: Chort the Crop Investor
“Hi, I’m Chort I infest crops and listen to Black Metal. I’ve currently invested most of my life savings into tracking down the REAL Nattramn and telling him how much I love his voice.”
