Vorphalack - Daemonium Magister EP (2004)

The Daemonium Magister EP is a prime example of where one might appropriately apply the cliche 'too little, too late' in the black metal genre. Surely this is the most cohesive effort this long-standing yet virtually unknown Greek outfit have released, if only because it draws ever closer to the standards that many of the European scene's competent practitioner's had already been exercising for years, sort of a mix between the cryptic darkness of Mayhem and Emperor in their primes, and the layered but simple textures of countrymen Nocternity. Granted, this is painfully brief, just two tracks totaling around 13 minutes, and we haven't heard from Vorphalack since it's release, but Daemonium Magister surpasses their 1998 EP In Memory... as the nearest they've grown to a qualified success.

Of the pair, the title track is the more compelling, due to the creepy and eloquent atmospheres the band conjure up through distant bells, chimes and the resonance of the vocals. The riffing here is quite primal, almost a hybrid of old school Florida death and Norse black metal, and in combination with the crashing drums and snarling, fulfilling vocals, I'd have to say this is the single best track of Vorphalack's entire career! "Travelling Through Parallel Dimensions" is comparable, with a respectable 90 second ambient passage that builds to the blasting, wall of violent sound inherent in the guitar tone, and it shares that same desperation, but overall it was not quite so dark. That said, the production of both tracks easily supercedes the rustic primacy of their Lullabies of a Vampire album, bleak but not hollow, oppressive but not empty.

Unfortunately there is just not more to this, and while it's far better plotted than their prior output, it's hardly exemplary in of itself. For instance, it would be difficult to distinguish this effort from scores of other underground bands throughout the 90s. I'm not sure if there is any intention to continue the band's obscure legacy, but by this point they had unquestionably come a long way from Under the Sight of Dragon, and should Vorphalack ever once more issue its vitriol from the shadows, I do hope it will follow the standard set up by this carnal couplet.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

http://vorphalack.tripod.com/

Vorphalack - Lullabies of a Vampire (2001)

It long enough for Vorphalack to release their first (and to date, sole) full-length album Lullabies of a Vampire, but it was actually recorded during the formative years of the band's immeasurably obscure tenure, in 1995, and simply never saw the light of the day. Not that it matters much, really, because this was clearly not among the more ambitious black metal acts of Greece, and the general mediocrity of their EP releases Under the Sight of Dragon (1993) and In Memory... (1998) were not the sort to breed anticipation. Worst still, the content of this album is little more than a retread of the songs they releases as the In the Sight of Dragon and Black Sorrow for a Dead Brother demos, affixed to their half of the split release with the even stranger Zephyrous in 1995 (which the latter released in 1998 as A Caress of War and Wisdom).

S0, in effect, this is by no means some long awaited bastion of mesmeric and vampiric black metal that would catapult Vorphalack into the ranks of Hellenic contenders, but a wholly underwhelming effort that feels more like a compilation. Several of the band's members, like 'Lady Lilith' (aka Tristressa of Astarte and Minas of On Thorns I Lay) had long since moved on to greater things, rendering this a mere stroll down memory lane. And this is not a paved lane, mind you, but a collection of incredibly lo-fi recordings that alternate between Gothic and pagan flavored keyboard cheese, ambient segues and punchy, primitive black metal which is often more like melodic thrash or doom with rasped vocals. Tunes like "In Search of Glory" and "Lullabies of a Vampire" itself do have a carnal charisma to them, a middle ground between Dimmu Borgir and the King Diamond solo records, with some half-decent riffing involved, but the awful, dry production renders most of their potential power inert.

Also, since the Under the Sight of Dragon tracks are tacked on as a footnote, there is also this inconsistency in the mix that might throw some listeners off. Basically, think of them as nothing more than bonus tracks, because their denser and garbled mess is a lot chunkier than the rest of the material, which is at least level with itself. Otherwise, there is not much to really say or to speak in favor of Vorphalack. They were not good to begin with, and aside from its possible rustic, haunted castle charms, there is no need to recommend this as anything more a crude and unpolished manifestation of a malignant dream. The band seemed to have arrived at some sort of logo here, which they would re-use on their 2004 EP Daemonium Magister, but I actually quite liked the one they had for In Memory... and wish the music would have lived up to its unnerving aesthetic. But no, the music here is substandard to even that crop of tunes in '98.

Verdict: Fail [4.75/10]

http://vorphalack.tripod.com/

Vorphalack - In Memory EP (1998)

In Memory is a more savage and focused short player than this band's 1993 obscurity Under the Sight of Dragon, but it comes at the cost of some of the crude but distinct riffing found thereupon. Where the band were once kindling a primitive sense for progression, here they've largely adopted the ethos of many European peers, to play as ruthlessly as possible, with straight blasting sequences and vicious vocals. For the vocals, they certainly got it right, because these are appropriately hallowing and harsh, so much that they often smother the less interesting music below with their carnal charisma; but this was still a band seeking to carve out an identity of its own, not quite arriving at the finish line, even though half a decade and numerous interim demos had passed.

In Memory is more substantial than that last EP, and while the band doesn't prove to be such a repugnant curiosity, they certainly offer up some variation. The first two tracks, "Angel of Light" and "Four Fiery Crowns" are performed with the raw force I noted above, drums programmed to blast incessantly while the churning vortex of guitars evoke the barbarity of Mayhem and other Scandinavian evil-smiths. The climax of "Angel of Light" comes with a cheesy female Satanic chant that reminds me of the Wampyrinacht EP (which I believe one of thee guys was involved in); and both of these tunes use keyboard strikes to enhance their sense of full moon madness, ultimately manifesting in some half-decent, if forgettable camp that is at least fun in the actual listening.

After this, though, the contents of the EP shift direction, with the keyboard ambient piece "Hymn to Satan" and further ritual incantation, and then the generally slower "Morbid Rites", which features more use of melody along its black/doom gait. "The Meeting" falls somewhere in between that track and the initial pair of compositions (which were also released as a promo the same year, independently of the rest), a good and sleazy organ deep in the bridge that pairs up with the ghastly snarls. As one might expect, the lyrics here are all pure occult in the vein of Mercyful Fate, Venom, Morbid Angel, and so forth, and the production is amply raw, but not so much that the instruments lose any clarity. Ultimately, In Memory is a more potent effort than Under the Sight of Dragon, as it seems the band's intentions are more sinister and serious, but aside from its passable writing and the 'creep factor' of its vocal carnage and haunted house atmosphere, there is not much to distinguish it from hundreds of other, similar recordings.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10] (the altar is now pure)

http://vorphalack.tripod.com/

Vorphalack - Under the Sight of Dragon EP (1993)

Vorphalack were not quite part of the 'inner circle' of Hellenic black metal acts spawning forth in the 90s, but they did inhabit the same general field of interest as fellow Greeks Rotting Christ, Zemial and Varathron. That is, slower to mid paced black metal reliant on a cruise mode atmosphere more than the blazing speed and arching symphonic overtures of an Emperor, or the stripped and lavish dichotomy of a Burzum. Under the Sight of Dragon is yet another of those 7" releases available through Molon Lave, and in reality its just the vinyl version of their In the Sight of Dragon demo the same year, with just two songs rating in below 10 minutes of content (not unlike Thou Art Lord's EP Diabolou Archaes Legeones).

Since they evolved along a sidereal tract to those central Greek artisans, there are some curious differences to how Vorphalack approached their writing. This is a more 'progressive' form of that slower paced fare, to the point that I heard a splinter of Fates Warning (circa Awaken the Guardian or No Exit) in the guitars of the first track "Hall of Death". The synthesizers used here are also very prog-like, almost too tingling and spacey for the whole pseudo-vampiric, LaVeyan Satanist shtick Vorphalack use in their lyrics and corpse-painted image, and while effective, the gruff guttural vocals (akin to Thou Art Lord) are decidedly monotonous. The other track, "Obsessed", does vary to a degree, with a brazen organ intro, and this is the better of the pair, with slowly churning guitar grooves and a nice if simple lead in the bridge, not to mention the bass in the rather psychedelic closing sequence.

All told, Under the Sight of Dragon is an intriguing alternative to what was happening elsewhere in Athens and the rest of Greece, but you get the feeling the band weren't quite assured of where they wanted to take this, and the final product feels bland and ultimately forgettable. The actual production is lacking and there are no riffs of note featured in either track, only inclement pangs of atmosphere are left to draw in the listener. As a result, they would never flirt with the same success as Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh or other bands from their homeland. This is merely a footnote, though the band would survive on into the 21st century with a number of releases.

Verdict: Indifference [5.25/10]

http://vorphalack.tripod.com/