Cruel and Unusual by High Council is a proper Prog/Folk Metal album, about war, pagan gods, battles, and war. It is the second full length release from High Council and their seventh overall and, according to the press release that accompanied it, it will;
“…unite legions of metal maniacs under its banner forevermore.”
What this basically means is that if you like this sort of music then you’ll like Cruel and Unusual by High Council. The problem for me is, I don’t really like this sort of music.
Okay, that’s not fair, as I did like Prog Metal with all its pomp and circumstance – of which you will find plenty of on this record – it’s just that Dread Majesty came along an ruined it for everyone by upping the ante to almost unreachable levels. Honestly, if I had got my hands on this before my first taste of Dread Majesty, Cruel and Unusual would’ve scored quite high from me.
It is exceptionally well performed, with Metal guitars living side by side with Classical ones in one breathtakingly beautiful family, while the vocals swoop and soar across a spectrum I had forgotten exsisted since Bruce Dickinson and Sebastian Bach got old, while the rhythm section supplies the complex backbone to the beast that is High Council and, truth be told, there isn’t a bad track on the record, from the opening title track Cruel and Unusual to the closer, Wildspace, and all points inbetween, High Council have written a solid record crammed with some decent tunes.
So what’s my problem then?
Truthfully? It just doesn’t grab me.
If you are a regular reader of the Black Metal Archives then you’ll know that I have a varied taste in music that spans all sorts of genres and not just Metal, but the one thing that all the bands, artists, and albums I love have in common is they all got my attention by grabing me by the proverbial collar and shaking the shit out of me. And Cruel and Unusual just doesn’t.
I like it enough. It’s a good record and I’m not about to sit here and shit on something that a bunch of very talented musicians put together, as I’m not that kind of writer, but the fact remains that even though I enjoyed my time in the company of High Council’s second full-length release, I doubt very much if I will go out of my way to play it again.
Simply put, if you like this genre then you will like this, but if you’re looking for an entry point into it – or are looking for something that stands out – then I’m not convinced this is the best door to walk through.
Head on over to the High Council Bandcamp page and check it out for yourself.
RATING 2.5 OUT OF 5
RATING SYSTEM:
- 0 – 1: Fucking shit
- 1 – 2: Shit
- 2 – 3: Not Bad Shit
- 3 – 4: Pretty Good Shit
- 4 – 5: Amazing Fucking Shit
- 5: The Best Shit You Will Ever Hear.
Press source: Davide Pulito The Metallist / PR & Marketing for Heavy Music. Contact Website and Email: [email protected]
