Vrolok is that band. Having listened to their newest offering of blackened bliss, Soul Amputation, it becomes increasingly apparent that Vrolok is just barely a black metal band; in fact, I'd go so far as to say this is beyond simple black metal, and it is most surely above it.
Soul Amputation finds the band's sole (pun somewhat intended) stationary member, D. (short for Diabolus) teaming with one Lurker. D. obviously does the lion's share, being listed for vocals, samples, organs, percussion, lyrics, art, and strings. Lurker meanwhile adds only more percussion, and what the credits call "structure."

I pointed the above out to give you readers an idea of how ambitious Soul Amputation truly is. With only two members (and only one permanent one), Vrolok has crafted an album well beyond their visual means; an almost seventy minute opus of odd, ambient, and above all individualistic blackened shoegazing that seems a focused attack on organized Judeo-Christian religious tradition, all while showing immense gratitude to more "darkened" forces. It all adds up for one of the more interesting black metal albums I've heard, and it is very surprising how focused, intelligent, and unified the themes of this album are. The disc has been divided into three parts: Reverence, Aetheri, and Worship. Some editions, i.e. my own, also have two bonus tracks added culled from the first recording session between Lurker and D. in May of 2003. Reverence has the most songs, and also the most metal. It does however, show a band that has as much in common with black metal as it does with noisy-prog. Take opener "Sanctus & Benedictus, Malefactoris." The song has subtle, howling wind and somber elegies of wondrous grace, sung in archaic Latin. It is less a song than a choir singing in a tomb, deep within the Earth's bowels. "Master of Terrors and Sacrilege" is a fantastic track; even when Vrolok is paying the greatest amount of reverence to their black metal forbears, they still manage to offer up an unique take on the art and present us with something exciting and new. "Master of Terrors and Sacrilege" alternates between grim, thrashing, muffled, and claustrophobic blackened metal with a side of macabre grooves and chiming drums, for a mix that is simply fantastic.

"Snake of Unholy Divinity" is one of the best tracks on the entire CD; it writhes in memorable, twisting, and cold rhythms of blackest ichor, all before slowing and steadily breaking out in breakneck uptempo chaos. "Macabre Effigy" slowly glides in on blackened wings of the prayer's of another choir; eventually, the song becomes a sinister start-stop monster of choking black metal.

"Sanctus & Benedictus, Malefactoris II," like it's similar predesscessor, is so magnificent and grandiose one cannot help but grimly smile at it's iconoclastic nature. "Confusion, Torment, and Hatred" shuffles in blackened grooves and heavy, fuzzy bass like a shambling corpse fresh from the grave. Deeply enjoyable, the rising and plummenting riffs will have one headbanging slowly and surely. The final piece on "Reverence," "Life Lies in Ruins," is without a doubt the most frightening piece of music I've ever heard. Nothing but the most wracking of coughs and indecipherable whispers greet us vocally; the song wraps itself in horrible strings and a wall of black noise that builds to a point whereas you want to scream in horror; without anything happening, it vanishes without a trace and leads into part II, or "Aetheri."

"Aetheri" is my favorite section on Soul Amputation as it is usually nothing but surprisingly complex instrumentals. Opener "November Funeral Mass" is a perfect example; splashy drums are paired with moody, bouncing strings and suddenly, rising like an orange moon over a flat of graves, the most fantastic organ manifests itself. One of my favorite tracks on the entire epic, "Ghosts of Winter Mourning" offers an ever-evolving piece of melancholy meandering. Soulless and frosty notes are played helter-skelter, before full guitar strums, marvelous percussion, and sinister shoegazing take effect. The tune's magnificent climax of well-crafted crescendos via watery and fluid guitars could not have been better. "Oktober 26th" begins with epic guitar riffs that harkens ever so mildly to Bathory perhaps; again, the dynamic is shifted without warning as this metamorphs into rumbling and ominous passages of clean guitars and barely heard vomited whispers. The song outdoes itself yet again by evolving into defiant and wrathful guitar harmonics. The Stygian "Abstract Human Element" closes "Aetheri" with
simplistic guitar notes which stutter between softly warm to bitingly loud and in-your-face. Weird, random samples crop up here and there, creeping you out and adding to the mood.

"Worship" is kicked off by "Pestilence Beyond the Stained Glass," in which choirs of both sexes sing understated hymns in Latin before they are eroded away by complex metal arrangements. "Devotion" is chocked full of so much fantastic music I couldn't even begin to do it justice; let's just some of the best black metal ever, with a pinch or two of ambient stream-of-thought and some good old organs.

"Black Sacrificial Fear" is a galloping ride through the abyss, which leads to the freaky "...I Stand to Gain Nothing.." which is essentially just that phrase. The nine minute spiritual catharsis that is "Soul Amputation" exceeds mere words. First of all, the creature spewing forth unholy roars on this song cannot be human in any way; second, I never though I'd hear a black metal song that owes a lot to YOB. Sludgey, drawn-and-quartered, and pitch black at it's rotten core, "Soul Amputation" offers all the surprises already present in the rest of the CD (and trust me, there's plenty of them) in one bloody song. I'm left gibbering like a fool, saying "wow" over and over again. The two bonus tracks "Hidden Between the Paths..." and "Bele'zaghal Diplocephalus" are both solid despite being the first recording session between this incarnation of Vrolok. "Paths..." is a rising ritual of ambient bliss, whereas 'Bele'zaghal" is the most metal-leaning track on the entire CD. Personally, I'd love to hear more Vrolok like this.

I give ye fair warning; to truly appreciate a disc as far-reaching as this, one must approach with an open mind and plenty of energy to invest. Ironically, such an approach warrants a comparison to the very goals of organized religion itself. Isn't that what religion, after all, asks of us? Blind faith, and our time and hearts willingly and often given over to it? I have the strangest feeling Vrolok perhaps manifested such an analogy of their own accord. Regardless, if one is patient and humble, plus willing to take the time to truly digest and absorb Soul Amputation, I promise you will find mind-blowingly good black metal. I know this for fact as it took me several listens to truly appreciate what
was being listened to; I digress, see your Soul Amputation to its bitter end and you'll feel that much more enlightened for it. Intelligent (thankfully), layered, grand, and most definitely black, Vrolok is quite possibly above and beyond the unlimited hordes who will probably never hear them. Like all revolutionary musical acts who go on to change their field, it begins with the individual; I pass this to you, hear it and be impressed. Hail Vrolok!

Tracks
Part I: Reverence
1. Sanctus & Benedictus, Malefactoris
2. Master of Terrors and Sacrilege
3. Snake of Unholy Divinity
4. Macabre Effigy
5. Sanctus & Benedictus, Malefactoris II
6. Confusion, Torment, Hatred
7. Life Lies in Ruins

Part II: Aetheri
8. November Funeral Mass
9. Ghosts of Winter Mourning
10. Oktober 26th
11. Abstract Human Element

Part III: Worship
12. Pestilence Beyond the Stained Glass
13. Devotion
14. Black Sacrificial Fear
15. ..."I Stand to Gain Nothing..."
16. Soul Amputation