Asheville, North Carolina’s Valravne has been making it a point to create aggressive, depressive, and misanthropic black metal with the raw intensity of the classic bands, while updating the recording process and musicianship. Some Kind of Vampire II was released August 7th, and is the second installment of a two-part EP series.
The first EP was released in May, and is a Covid-19 quarantine project. Some Kind of Vampire is loosely based on the life and killings of Ted Bundy. This second EP deals more with the corruption of the world.
That corruption and disgust with the current state of the world is what opens this EP. “Nothing Left to Corrupt” has a slow build at the very start. But, it hits hard with the thrash elements of early Black Metal. The political/societal tone of the lyrics sees Satan weeping atop his throne, as there is nothing left for him to corrupt. “I Only Pray For Your Death” is fast and raw with brutal lyrics. A highlight is the incredible sweeping lead guitar layered over intense speed picking rhythm.
Unlike the intense and aggressive first two songs, the second two are full of crushingly depressive elements. “Raped into Existence” is softer, yet building. Lyrically dealing with a difficult topic, and the bleak emotional state that follows those who have lived it. “Lucid Nightmare” is grim, with heartbreaking delivery in the vocals. Like in “I Only Pray For Your Death,” the lead guitar playing is remarkable and a standout element.
Some Kind of Vampire II is a showcase of the varying directions Black Metal can take. The updated recording, and the musicianship didn’t cause the raw, and intensity of classic Black Metal to be lost. The intense and aggressive first half sets up the utterly depressing second superbly. In a genre known for its typically horrendous recording quality, Valravne’s self recorded and self produced Some Kind of Vampire set of EPs sets a new bar for what Black Metal can be.