renkls There are some albums that really require an open mind and patience when they ask you to sit down and take it all in one sitting. Black Howling's full length debut Alma...uma Floresta de Dor is one such album, and probably for my sake, one I find very difficult to digest in this way.

Playing an improvised style of DSBM (depressive/suicidal black metal), Black Howling achieve their intended effect through use of reverb and feedbacky guitar lines, tosses together with some of the most low-fi production to have ever graced my ear canals. The album itself is one 42 minute track. I read reviews before venturing into this album, that the production is really love it or hate it, because it's really minimal. It could have been recorded in a tin can for all I know. Distorted clips of guitar and drum sound jump in and out as the production reduces the album mostly to a dissonant dark ambient/black metal drone. The vocals however, as howls are effective and well captured.

While an initial listen prompted me to believe the production was the final nail in the coffin, I agree with some reviewers when they say that the production produces an awkward, personal feeling to the work; a piece of authenticity that the album could not achieve without this minimalist production effort. It's not that the music itself is poor at all. The production smoothers the melodic beauty of the piece, which is a mostly instrumental, guitar, bass and drums exercise. At moments the melody lines seep through the feedbacky and dissonant atmosphere, making me feel like the album is examining the beauty of a life struggling to be heard beneath cruelty, depression and/or sadness.

It's a difficult album/song at any time, but if you are a fan of DSBM, this may just be your new favorite album in waiting. For me, once now and then is more then enough.