People still confound things...

Once more: to have a filthy sonority or a cleaner one doesn't mean a thing, if your music isn't good as you think it is. No, the sonority of an album must in a way that your music gains life, a way that can fit on what the genre must be. But even if everything is right, it doesn't mean that something good is coming, and a fine example can be the latest release from the Portuguese duet RUACH RAAH, "Misanthropic Wolfgang".

Their musical formula was used by many bands: that same old and putrid form of Black/Death Metal used by names as BLASPHEMY and BEHERIT (and that has deep roots on the works from Brazilian names as HOLOCAUSTO and SARCÓFAGO), but without a personal insight. In other words, the main sin of them is the lack of something that wasn't done before. Besides they have talent to make such form of music (it's an undeniable fact), something isn't right.

The sonority of "Misanthropic Wolfgang" is what the words above stated clear: something putrid and raw as it's usual to the genre. But even creating a fuzzy sound mass, it's not so extremely hard to understand what they're doing. But honestly: it can be done in countless better ways. It's not bad, but could be way better than what is shown on the album.

For the fans of such genre, songs as "Ceremonial Flagellation" (brutal and with a crushing aggressive weight, and shows nasty guitars), "Bones Return to Soil" (that shows the same elements from the previous song), "Misanthropic Wolfgang" (that shows some elements that were used by Quorthon on early BATHORY releases), "Scythe of Human Generis" and "Inhale the Smokes ov Hate" will have a great appeal, but it will tire everyone after some hearings. Obviously, their version for BATHORY's "Satan My Master" has a strong appeal, but isn't enough to save the album.

In the end of all, RUACH RAAH has enough potential to bring a better musical work than is shown on "Misanthropic Wolfgang", so let's hope this hope can become real on their next release.