Classic Day – Self-Mutilation            

The random pockets of black metal where different genres can coexist is the sculpting point for finding niche and perfectly tailored releases. The 2009 self-titled release from When Mine Eyes Blacken is a depressive fall from the safety net of clouds into a tarnished, but still melodically sequenced death.

Every step of the adventure through When Mine Eyes Blacken is determined by the single-member under the simple title Mort. Mort is able to control the listener and transport them into auditory suffering with the opening track, “Secluded Within Sorrow, Solace Awaits.” With howls that relate more to shrills of the wind rather than a human voice, the cold winter creeps down the spine and enacts that overwhelming sense of burdening fear. But when paired with the frankly gorgeous instrumentation, When Mine Eyes Blacken is an endurance to the beauty of black metal.

Lyrics featured describe, “Embracing the art of ignorance, figures drift through broken mirrors. That long since cast no reflections. Blinded by chains of contempt, ensnared within this illusion,” that is engulfed and surrounded by small glimmers of hope through the percussive onslaught and string ensembles. Like a well-choreographed dance performance, When Mine Eyes Blacken has these transitional phases that segue effortlessly and often times within any real jarring cut. When Mine Eyes Blacken is a record that is best suited for the long-winded and for those who seek longer track run times but with a rewarding display of gratification.

Instead of wanting to constrict around the listener and cause a rupture among the lungs, the air is instead used as an instrument to gather and collect this atmospheric edge to the piece. Following the theme of black metal records before it, When Mine Eyes Blacken relies on illustrating an atmospheric shift and some glimpse of reprieve. Instead of being set free completely though, When Mine Eyes Blacken grants subtle liberty in the form of sluggish, but still graceful breakdowns that feature acoustic instrumentation or very little growls.

Standing on an ocean of sound, the track “Within Deaths Embrace” is a prolonged outro to a four-track journey. The 48 minutes that becomes an uncovered gem through the one-man production is a well-orchestrated and intimidating animal that eventually becomes loyal in the end. As the scars are peeled away and the skin melted back, the skeleton of the record lies as a hopeless, but still direct method of delivery.

Listen To When Mine Eyes Blacken Here!!! – BandCamp