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When one thinks of black metal, he does not think of polish or discipline. Take some of the bigger names in black metal. Darkthrone thrives on primitiveness, Anateus on utter chaos, Xasthur on suicidal psychedelica. Bands with the slightest hint of gloss or control – Dimmu Borgir, for example, though they cake on those qualities – are laughed off as being “unkvlt.” However, there are bands who are able to beef up their production and tighten their compositions without losing any semblance of grimness.

Farsot is one of those bands.

Much like their labelmates Secrets of the Moon, Farsot deliver a fine balance of clean and grim. The awkwardly-titled IIII shows them in fine form. The compositions are very well-put together in that they convey a cold, harsh nature, but area never crude. The album is divided up into “Thematiks” – Hass, Angst, Tod, and Trauer. I don’t understand a lick of German, but it’s refreshing to see such care in making an album more than a collection of songs. The 20-minute “Trauer,” with its crashing, haunting piano breakdown, is the standout piece.

Another interesting aspect of the album are the transitions between Thematiks. In those, Farsot explore different avenues of sound. Angelic choir drones, amplified heartbeats, and stormy field recordings are some of the sounds used to transition from one coordinated assault to another. These are cool pieces, but I would like to see them more incorporated into the songs.

Overall, Farsot are a promising group, and even though they have a firm compositional grip, they still have some refining to do.

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Reviewer: Andy O'Connor Added: December 4th 2007