LVA - Embers of a Black Plague

LVA - Embers of a Black Plague (SCHATTENKULT Produktionen CD 2017)

LVA is another band from Schattenkult Produktionen, which I was introduced to in the last couple of months, when I received a stack of new releases from this label. I saved this band for the last, with no reason really, but to be honest, now after playing all these killer albums from bands like Throne of Evil, Shadows Ground or Imperium Infernalis I have no doubt that LVA is the weakest Schattenkult Produktionen release of the past couple of months. Not that it's terrible or worthless – it's not not! But it's barely mediocre, I think. And it's as easily forgettable as you can imagine. Once I complete this review, I am sure that I will take this CD out of the stereo and put it on the shelf for many, many months, with no desire to come back to it quickly. There's too much killer music around to bother about LVA. 

LVA is Italian two men project, which is a part of something called Venetic Black Metal Front... Yeah, another circle, another front... It gets funny to see people still doing these things, like it was 1993. But who cares... Generally, it can tell you a lot that LVA is heavily influenced by the old black metal scene. Usually that is not a bad thing, but only if it comes along with creativity and ability to compose and record some killer black metal stuff! Like the mentioned Shadows Ground does, for example! Sadly, I won't say the same about LVA, whose "Embers of a Black Plague" bores me to death. It's pure black metal, harsh and cold sounding; pretty simplistic, although there is a good measure of melody and mixture of fast and slower, more melancholic sounding black metal. So, there is a diversity and probably some solid riffs also. But I just can't find anything on "Embers of a Black Plague" what would really impress me. After a while all these songs sound the same, especially that this album contains four looonnggg tracks and to be honest, LVA didn't have enough good ideas for such lengthy compositions. There are few interesting fragments, like these clean vocals in "Gates of My Inner Black Mirror" or maybe two or three great riffs. But that's it, I'm afraid. It's just not enough for 35 minutes. Most of this material gets monotonous, I even get tired with these insanely screaming vocals of Oriax Nocturna, so you can't blame that after few spins of this CD all I wanted was to throw it out of the CD player. And forget I ever listened to it. 

No standout track 

Verdict: 55/10