Review by Mario on April 6, 2009.

Metallurgy is one of the most ancient arts.
It is the technique and science of extracting metals from their ores.
A piece of metal being malleable can be changed and converted into desirable shape as one pleases.

In the 1980's the very first blacksmiths of black metal started to forge mines' future products. With the help of sophisticated machines the process progressed. Stretching, bending, mixing of different ores became almost limitless. Unpredictable before alloys surfaced.

Emancer is an excellent example of such alloy and believe me, it is not some ordinary steel but rather stainless steel. After getting acquainted with their 5th album I must say it is a piece of meticulous, to the smallest detail, nearly mathematically worked-out, material. Mithrin, the mastermind behind Emancer, must have spent a lot of time in Oslo with Tom Kvalsvoll, the producer. There, in STRYPE AUDIO, Emperor, Windir and Ihsahn have recorded their serially perfect music.

While this is predominantly mid-tempo modern black [dark] metal release moments of unexpected weirdness occur. Quasi-industrial machinations [a la Appolyon Sun] changing into ambient-like keyboard passages evolving toward eerie slow-downs: all of these abrupt [not Abruptum :] listener attention once in a while.
This juxtaposition of different moods, styles is sometimes evident within a single track range, a technique which reminds me a bit of what Opeth is most famous of.
Metallers! Do not be fooled here though; there's plenty of anger & aggression in the play. I hear here some parallels with Limbonic Art, Ulver, late Satyricon, Borknagar. The guitars, dominant in the mix, are razor sharp. With thrash attacking speed the riffing is surprisingly melodious. Pounding bass, bombastic drums kick with metronome-like accuracy. Throughout the 60+ minutes a listener perceives rough throat' bursts but clean singing surprises in few places. The use of Luke Rhinehart' poem fragment in 'Dice Man' justifies this album cover and title:

"...I will fear no evil: for Chance is with me:
thy two sacred cubes they comfort me...
Surely goodness and mercy and evil and cruelty shall
Follow me
All the days of my life
[And I will dwell in the house of Chance forever]"

Some malcontents might argue if it is still a black metal release. It is true there's more experimental and complex sounds on here to call it 'the blackest of the black'. The disc won't probably be straight forward enough for the majority of extreme metal fans but for those inclined for some [a word rarely identified with black metal] progress it'll rule.

Remember - stainless steel never rusts!


Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 9
Overall: 8.5

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on March 6, 2021.

Those of you who like to dig in the black metal underground might have already made acquaintance with The Stone. The Serbian formation has been active since 2001. The here presented album was released in 2007 and its simple yet extremely atmospheric cover picture caught my interest. Due to some slightly incompetent mail orders, it was not easy to get a copy, but now the hunt is over - and it was worth the trouble. Of course, high fidelity fetishists will moan about the production. The Stone does not impress with a surgically precise sound. The mix is a little bit blurred and relatively flat, but I do not think that this is really a problem. It does not affect the authenticity of the band and since the release of "Under a Funeral Moon", if not before, we all know that black metal does not need a perfect sound in order to reveal its foul stench. Moreover, don't be fooled by the year of the release. The album was already recorded in 1999 and it was the only full-length under the band's previous name Stone to Flesh. So do not be too harsh in terms of the mix - and let's be happy that the album was ornamented with a new cover. The first artwork sucked, despite or exactly because of the fact that it was closely aligned with the name of the output ("Some Wounds Bleed Forever").

Anyway, The Stone blast their way through the Serbian forest in a violent manner. The title track, for example, combines stormy lines with slightly strange keyboard sounds that work in the background. Satan smiles. The infernal legions march again and they appreciate the fact that the soundtrack for their hellish crusade is not affected by external influences. Pure black metal is flowing free and The Stone know enough options in order to keep the music diverse and interesting. The grim and frosty compositions follow pretty traditional schemes, although the guys are not afraid of using blast beats every now and then. However, the guitar work and the scurrilous nagging of Nefas celebrate the old school. It seems to be only logical that the generic line-up (vocals, guitars, bass, drums) performs an equally generic form of black metal. This results in compositions that connect flattening mid-tempo parts with high velocity attacks. Even the amazingly intense crusher 'Serbian Wood' has a less rapid sequence at the end. But regardless of its astonishing tempo, this track belongs to the best pieces of Some Wounds Bleed Forever.

Further songs demonstrate the power of The Stone as well. 'My Demonic Face' shines with a great instrumental part which is mainly formed by rasping guitars. A heroic background choir also appears for a short time. Guess that Immortal's "As the Eternity Opens" served as the model for this part. However, The Stone seem to be intrinsically motivated - otherwise I would have no explanation for their lush discography - and they cannot be blamed for being copycats. This is not to say that each and every song makes my day. Frankly speaking, the artistic intention behind the short 'Razor Speed' remains a mystery. Nevertheless, most parts of this output hit the bull's eye. Even the bonus tracks do not fall short of expectations. They are taken from a 7" which was originally released by Eclipse Productions in 2004. The sound of these songs is less noisy, but there are no significant differences in terms of style. Consequently, The Stone's album from 2007 is a good work, not essential and sometimes a bit strenuous, but absolutely okay.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10