Review: Weapon's debut is sharpened and dangerous

Weapon - Drakonian Paradigm (AJNA, 2009)

 Mention Canadian metal and Voivod, Blasphemy, or some variant of either will invariably spring to mind. Canada is still an untamed frontier in many ways, and the wildness of its bands reflect the uncharted musical territory they often explore. Formed in 2004 in Alberta by way of Bangladesh, Weapon is a relatively new act but they are busy carving their own niche into the metal movement of the northern territories. Drakonian Paradigm is impressive in that it showcases a progression of vision and style without compromising the clandestine nastiness that marked their previous efforts. Whereas the band's excellent Para Bhakti... Salvation EP recalled a trajectory and sound quality closer to classic Beherit, this full length features a brighter production with more overtly melodic songs to match. Don't misunderstand this description; Weapon are not softening up at all, but instead they are broadening the scale to match their apparent conceptual ambitions. Rather than hurrying through numbers with relentless blast beats, the band allows each song to unfold and build much like a malignant version of the Vedas. This creates a more venerable and even regal counterpoint to the bursts of sonic violence that punctuate different movements in an almost operatic fashion. The title track even features an underpinning of dire acoustic departures that would be typically fruity on other albums but in this case only serve to augment the ferocity of the surrounding passages. Weapon's mastermind Vetis Monarch gruffs his way through arcane passages that are more magickal resuscitations than lyrics in the traditional sense, and sepulchral wails and moans waft in between. Guitars and drums interplay in practical and effective accord; this material could have easily been overplayed but instead wisely presents as the sum of its parts. No one instrument is too obtrusive, though the untamed solo breaks are given a fair showcase at all the proper moments. Interestingly, one of the most striking pieces on the album is the first song, titled “Weapon”. This is a complete composition free of vocals that serves to set the stage by refusing to conform to the mold. There is a pregnant expectation that Vetis' voice will appear somewhere in the track but it never happens. Thus when “Cacophony! The Black Dragon's Tongue!” follows, the presence of the vocals feels all the more caustic.

So what does all this mean? The verdict is that Drakonian Paradigm remains thankfully unhindered by trends or obvious conventions. This album reaches the core of the black metal ideal in that much of it is unknowable upon first encounter. Knowledge is often better gleaned when one is forced to ask questions than simply receive answers, and Weapon pierces the third eye with a honed brutality that guarantees its status as one of this year's best black metal albums.