Mysticum
In The Streams Of Inferno

Lately, I have become interested in some sub-genres of great importance in the black metal field, which for various reasons I hadn't been able to explore. Among these, within the cauldron of experiences roughly grouped under the label "Post-Black," I believe the Industrial-Black is particularly praiseworthy.

So how could one not start with Mysticum, a Norwegian formation credited with an initial proposition of certain sounds that would find increasing success as the century turned; a seminal band, born in 1992 but reaching their first full-length only in 1996, they were creators of a new way to conceive black, modernizing it and thus paving the way for contaminations in the years to follow: also unfortunate, as they did not receive any of what they deserved, dying shortly thereafter in the most sordid anonymity. Certainly, Mysticum, despite being pioneers, did not create a new genre from scratch: certain experimental fusions of industrial music and metal had already been successfully attempted by mainstream bands like Fear Factory; furthermore, it is known how many underground metal representatives (at least those who are more open-minded) have an affinity for niche genres far from their own style (like Hardcore Techno, Dark Wave, Neo Folk...) and other types of cultures (Cyberpunk, Medieval Revival, Rave...), sometimes blending them with their own.

In a closed genre like black metal, in a watershed year like 1996 (when the second generation of bands began to rail against any form of black that wasn't "True" and pure), releasing an album like "In The Streams Of Inferno" was a courageous decision. This was mainly the importance of Mysticum, beyond the musical outcome.

"Where The Raven Flies" is somewhat the manifesto of the nascent movement. The track is introduced by a long instrumental section, with Dark Ambient tones, already twisted and reinterpreted: the synth sounds are cold and distant, reminiscent somewhat of "Worship Me" from Burzum's first album, except here there's a different coldness, less Nordic, and more alien. The piece then bursts into a very fast guitar riff, supported by a constant keyboard pad for the entire album duration. However, what distances the group's offering from that of their compatriots is the drums, entrusted to the drum machine programmed by Robin "Mean" Malmberg (also in Ulver): the rhythm is precise, cold, and distant, but very different from the programming style found in a modern album of the genre. In fact, there are two overlapping drum tracks, one with the usual snare, and another underneath, more "melodic," acting as a second bass, following the fury of the drums and mitigating its violence: the result is quite peculiar, and closely resembles the rhythms of techno music, creating a constant and successful contrast between the warmth of Rock (even if we're talking about black metal) and the coldness of Electronics.

There are many other reasons that make "In The Streams Of Inferno" an essential album (despite the compositions' level not being great, in fact, the album doesn't stand the test of time): image choices that place Mysticum among the first examples of bands that abandoned the traditional Facepainting-Satanism imagery, in favor of a post-atomic representation (or in any case from the industrial era). But also other strictly musical ones (aside from the aforementioned): among the first to slow down the speed of riffs to allow samples and electronics to be effective; to give importance to keyboards not just as a simple "pad," but as melody creators, the pillar around which to develop songs; to relegate guitars to an equal level with other instruments, if not lower. If you hate the new soundscapes of Black Metal, you'll know who to start taking it out on.

If one wants to make a comparison, always considering the enormous time span that separates the two offerings (almost ten years), one could say that an album that certainly absorbed Mysticum's lesson is "Generator" by Aborym (in which, coincidentally, the Norwegian guitarist, Prime Evil, sings): the same attention to futuristic and cold keyboard atmospheres, similar screaming, out-of-the-box attitude, etc.