Premiere: Enter the Black Metal Wastelands of Cogas

It with great joy that we present the latest in our series of exclusive premieres, this time a fantastic track from U.K. black metal project Cogas, coming from their upcoming full-length debut due out in a few weeks. If you've been following this strange publication long enough you know that I don't necessarily always respond well to what I perceive to be straight-ahead, orthodox black metal. If it's done well, fine, but more often than not it just sounds like a worse version of a band I had already known or liked. Exceptions to this (personal) rule are hard to come by.

The debut from Cogas, however, seems to be one of those exceptions. The London-based band (featuring the drumming prowess of Francis Ball of the great Atvm). There's enough aggression in "Ettagramma," the wonderful track you can find below, to topple a small pyramid, that much is pretty obvious. Cascading riffs, scientific-grade drumming, howling vocals, everything you need is right here.

The difference here is that measure of dare I say humanity that provides a real level of depth to the whole affair, starting from the desperation in the aforementioned vocals, the passion and dynamism in the aforementioned drums and the atmospheric, borderline melodic, quality of the guitar work. Best part is, as with all great songs, how everything comes together, the bones and the flesh, to make "Ettagramma" come absolutely alive.

If you need that "I live in an ice cave" black metal feel combined with some recognizable, actual emotion, then look no further.