This technique can be seen first put into practice by Burzum, on the song ‘Det Som En Gang Var’, and S.Holliman, the sole author of I Shalt Become’s music, seems to incorparate this technique as a permanent formula, giving the recorded product more atmospheric depth, hence also outweighing the ‘lack’ of musical ability and virtuosity towards which many outsiders to the black metal genre are so often scornful.

Interesting also is the addition on some songs of a second guitar which plays harmonic variations on the standard melody, as shown on songs such as ‘Fragments’, ‘Winter Lights’ and ‘Thorns’. The guitars sound quite blurry and chaotic, having the kind of noise and timbre one might associate with the ‘Decrepitude’ tracks from Bzum’s ‘Filosofem’, and as mentioned in the previous paragraph, are defined by arpeggio based riffs that are melancholic and were seemingly intended to be keyed in minor. ‘Wanderings’ was released originally in 1996 by one-man act I Shalt Become, and musically is indebted mainly to the arpeggio lead riff structures of Burzum and the loose musical execution portrayed in such albums like ‘Thousand Swords’ by Graveland, and ‘Thy Dying Light’ by fellow countrymen Judas Iscariot. Although there are flaws to this record which the reviewer only percieves as minor, one should not let this get in the way of the artistic validity of this music. This album is quite an obscure gem, and has only just seen a re-release by Moribund Records. Released by Bestial Rape and distributed by NWN: I Shalt Become “Wanderings” LP In Stock Now

Judas iscariot thy dying light review