Frentrum
Demo 2014

Let's start by saying that I rarely find myself in the presence of an old audiocassette. Old in the sense of the "format," but new due to the fact that it was produced in March 2014. A bold decision by Frentrum, printing their DEMO on MC obviously has its limitations and merits. First of all, how many can listen to it considering the difficulty of finding an old tape player? Clearly, there's a certain allure, especially for those who, in the '80s until the mid-'90s, recognize this format as the last bastion before the true digitalization of music. However, it's worth noting that attention to detail makes a difference. In the same cassette case, besides finding all the INFO about the DEMO, we find an insert/poster in which Frentrum disclose all their intentions and a sticker. The execution is absolutely professional, nothing to complain about.

The Frentrum (from the brief Bio at my disposal) originated in Abruzzo in 1996, but it seems the project remained stalled for almost 20 years.
From the little information available online, it seems that the band's name was chosen recently, almost to indicate a sort of rebirth or something of the sort (source Metallum). A starting point. A tribute to the '90s, that's what this DEMO conceals. We're not talking about originality (they themselves admit it) and probably not even about excellent technical skills, after all, what they offer is pure, unadulterated, raw and crude vintage Black Metal. The chosen sounds clearly suggest the trio's intentions. The cover itself is quite telling: a photograph depicting a church, all strictly in black and white. Let's say that even here, there's nothing original. But for those like me who have a few more years, know that certain stereotypes were overly used during the birth of the extreme Scandinavian movement in the '90s (did someone say De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem?).
Strong in references to an era that seems a century away, Frentrum perform their grim task in barely 20 minutes of music, drawing heavily from what was the primordial Norwegian scene.
Why Norwegian? Simply because here you won't find fast tempos, no blastbeats, nor productions like Dark Funeral or Marduk. Their music is rotten and vile, slow, atmospheric, heavy.

Fundamentally, Ant, the mind behind Frentrum, must have absorbed a lot of Black Metal, especially the kind that corresponds to great names like Darkthrone and especially Burzum.
Objectively, they hide nothing and predictably follow the path of the Masters, intensifying their offering with a sickeningly sung Italian and sounds that seem to come from the old basement of Helvete.

"Dalle Profondità dell'Uomo" is the first track that composes this brief sound journey. A slow mid-tempo supports a riff that seems to repeat infinitely and Falco's voice embodies perfectly the degenerate feeling this funeral dance carries along. The much criticized artistic figure of Kristian Larssøn Vikernes from the early '90s hovers over all 8 minutes of this track.
"E che Tornino a Bruciare...", the second track, continues to hammer hard in the direction of the previous song. Almost doom in its progression, this semi-instrumental piece accompanies us to one of the best covers I've ever come across: Transilvanian Hunger by Darkthrone.
Usually, convincingly rereading a classic like the one from Vinterbro's band turns out 90% of the time disadvantageous. But in this case, we are talking about an excellent interpretation. The classic by the duo finds a new dimension here, slower (confirming the previous two pieces) but damnably grimy. From the voice, to the sounds, to the drums, nothing is left to chance. The very hiss of the cassette is the added value of this incredibly wild reinterpretation.

In conclusion, a good effort by Frentrum, who in 20 minutes pay homage to a genre that over the years has become less spontaneous and excessively constructed. A more complete evaluation of this band I will defer to the album, given that here, with three songs, there is little more to add. There's no half score, but I would give them for their willingness, sincerity, and consistency a full 3.5.