When it comes to Black Metal there are a significant number of artists out there who are doing it all on their own. While most churn out promising albums there are some who tend to stand out from the rest, offering something new and fresh to our beloved scene. 10:13 from Orange County CA is a one man project that has created a sound all his own. Neil Carter the man behind the music is a talented musician and he has used this as his medium to channel his own inner feelings.
Recently I had the pleasure of taking a listen to his new single entitled Oathbade and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall sound. Using everything from a harmonica to a mandolin this song speaks volumes and is one you need to listen to alone and in isolation in order to take it all in.
While this does not quite classify as straight Black Metal it holds an almost primal ritualistic feel that seeps with an other worldly presence. Combining aspects from Atmospheric, Symphonic, and even raw Black Metal Oathbade is reminiscent of bands like Lustre and Leviathan. It as if Neil took everything and threw it into a cauldron and mixed it all together.
The song itself starts off with the sound of the mandolin and harmonica working harmoniously together like the chant of an old folk Bluegrass song then unleashes into a meld of furious drumming and melodic synth then slows down into an Atmospheric Black Metal harmony that is constant throughout the whole song. The drumming is fantastic and it adds just enough heaviness to add fluidity. In addition there are some spoken word passages that give off a haunting feel. 10:13 is a project that definitely deserves more recognition and if you are a fan of anything within the metal community you should definitely give this a listen. Be sure to also delve into the promo that was released last year. 10:13 is also working on a full length album with the release date still pending.
The Metal Wanderlust 