The crude approach on Black Metal can be described as an inheritance of what MOTÖRHEAD brought from Punk Rock into Metal (as the All Father of everything that is extreme on Metal, you know), and the VENOM and BATHORY passed on to the future generations. Some can say it's a tradition, or a form of protesting against the careful work of Thrash Metal and Death Metal acts in the late years of the 80's, or even any other explanation. The matter is: the raw appeal now is a part of what Black Metal musically is (even when the sonority is clean). But sometimes the fans must be remembered of the genre's roots, and the work of SPECTRAL CORRUPTION, this one man band hailing from Slovakia, is here to do it, as can be heard on "Requiem".

The band calls itself a Raw Black Metal act, and it the sense of the genre, 'raw' means that things are done in a form that resembles the features that stay as the foundations of the genre that MAYHEM, BURZUM, DARKTHRONE and others laid in the past. It's primitive (there's no exaggeration on the technical level), nasty and aggressive, but always in an organic form, without bringing things to high speed levels (besides some moments are faster, as can be heard on "Souls of Abhorrence"). The band isn't causing a renovation of the genre, just bringing back the old appeal of Black Metal, but always with personality (pay attention to the vocals tunes to check this). This album has a lo-fi sonority (or in other words, low fidelity) that resembles what can be heard on early 90's Black Metal albums. Of course this experience can be pretty weird for those used to better sound qualities, but it fits on what's being expressed, as "Transylvanian Hunger" did on its time. It could be done in a better way, but's not as bad as one can think.

The songs are all long, so the fans must lay attention to get the best of them (what a Black Metal fan can do easily), and songs as "Atrocious Insurrection" (the classic cutting-like morbid guitar riffs and arrangements are excellent), "Souls of Abhorrence" (if you're missing the feeling old days, this one is for you due its contrasts between fast and morbid parts), "The Destiny Awaits" (what lovely and darkened ambiences, with fine snarls appearing and filling the spaces), and "Congregating Hate into Enrage" (where some Hardcore influences of early Black Metal can be heard, and what good rhythmic shifts), will cause violent rapture on the Old School Black Metal fans for sure. But the version of the band for "A Burning Spear to the Heart of Dawn (Part I)" (a song of the USA based band LAMP OF MURMUUR) is excellent as well.

Of course, the potential of SPECTRAL CORRUPTION is greater than even the band is able to see. And the future will show that "Requiem" isn't just another Black Metal release.