To Embrace the Vampyric Blood (2016 remastered) [feat. Aphazel]

The members of Crimson Moon subscribe to the most primal premise of black metal as imparted by Darkthrone, Bathory, and even Venom before them. Meaning that although they embrace the usage of atmospheric synths that often characterized the movement from the mid-'90s onward, their songs are recorded in that lo-fi, dirt-encrusted style — so utterly raw and vile — that first endeared black metal to extreme-minded teenagers a decade earlier. To explain this in terms non-fans will understand — their production values suck. But, believe it or not, this is the intentional thrust behind the group's self-coined "Vampyric Black Metal," which takes a quantum leap into the heart of darkness via blood-chilling testaments like "Kingdom of Shadows," "The Storm Bringer," and the quasi-epic "Sender of Nocturnal Sacrament." Listen closely and you'll hear numerous well-placed nuances — ranging from acoustic guitars (in "To Offer Thy Crimson Sacrament") to mournful recitations of doom (in "Praise the Blood of the Serpent" and others) — emanating from the din. This, along with the album's appropriately creepy, mood-setting intro and outro (wolves howling, anyone?), make To Embrace the Vampyric Blood a prototypical sample of primitive black metal — rarely groundbreaking, but surprisingly entertaining over the long run. The obvious use of programmed drums may put off some purists, but just as many will likely pay heed to the cred-building guest appearance by Ancient's Aphazel on the track "The Eye of the Draconis."