Well, this is a pleasant surprise for December. Brand-new project The Negative Bias, a collaboration between three Austrian black metallers including the man behind Golden Dawn, surprises the listener not only with its violence but also the cold beauty of its blackened compositions. The echoing sound brings about the cosmic atmosphere the band tries for, and the melodies make it easy to get into and listen again. And again.

Opening this up, I expected some quiet, synth-dominated pieces, heavy on the drum machine and light on the riffing. To which expectations the Austrians reply "hell no". Thirty seconds into The Golden Key to a Pandemonium Kingdom, the sonic beatings begin, guitars and drums (genuine skins, played by Theotoxin drummer Florian Musil) cooperating to rupture unwary eardrums. Ex-Alastor vocalist I.F.S. lets out throaty growls to a backing choir of black metal warriors singing along, halting every once in a while for a new riff. Nothing is held back or pushed down in the mix: The drumming is front and center with the guitars in a way that gives everything additional impact.

Along with this we get melodies of a quality to match the grand atmosphere. Each track has its own unique sound, from raging tremolo-picking to a quiet but ominous cosmic buildup. My personal favorite is The Undisclosed Universe of Atrocities, a rhythmic stomp with complex rhythms exploding around the central theme like firecrackers. The Negative Bias doesn't repeat itself, ending with And Darkness Should Be the End of Cosmic Faith, an epic piece combining gloomy chanting with a harsh counterpoint of I.F.S.'s vocals, finally dying away to a fading echo of twangy guitar.

Lamentation of the Chaos Omega, simply put, is black metal done right. The whole lineup contributes their unique talents that results in a record that is more than the sum of its parts. Fans of Mare Cognitum might see some similarities here, but there's something here for any black metal listener.

Bandcamp: https://thenegativebias.bandcamp.com/releases.