The first ten seconds hooked me. Made me feel like this was something special. The voice of an old man dying of throat cancer. That’s what it sounded like. Only played back in reverse. Chanting something. The guitars when they started, seem to swirl. This was more Neurosis than any Black Metal. When the screams started, it was Abruptum. And suddenly the song takes a life of its own and becomes Furzement. It’s true. This band, one album later, is breathtaking in its self indulgent pomposity. Taking elements from Black Metal, Neurosis, Black Sabbath and some Mr. Bungle and creating something truly unique. There is an aspect of ritualistic music to this album. At least, it feels that way to me.

The first friendly black metal riff only rolls along on song number three to break the madness but not by much. Songs three to six, in fact make up the proper black metal side of things on Cogent. Following more  traditional  black metal song structures, these songs make a nice break from the weirdness before the album closes out with the gargantuan “Sathanas’ Megalomania.” This rambling twenty minute plus epic starts with a shudder and rumbles its way along a dark post metal path before exploding into black metal fury around the 7 minute mark. But then, the song effortlessly moves into a crawling riff that’s half Helmet half Sabbath before a fuzzy guitar riff, Reaper moaning in the back of the mix and various sound effects of wind, howling wolves, general forest sounds and maniacal laughter all give way to a riff that sounds like early Aeturnus before once again we’re bombarded with some proper black metal fury.

Going by the liner notes, the songs on this album were all conceived in the mid nineties and completed in the first couple of years of this decade. It has taken a while to finish these songs and this could explain the myriad influences of the music. Furze encompass many moods, all of them dark and a little desperate. Reaper does not have a friendly voice and the nervous, psychotic laughter can get to you. This is disturbing music. With the lights off, this is the kind of music that will leave you with a hole in the pit of your stomach and you’ll lie there unable to turn it off. Just lie there and allow Furze to fuck with your head. This is powerful, experimental music.

I suppose this is black metal but it doesn’t sound like any other black metal band I’ve heard. Furze is almost like the evil twin to Sigur Ros’s cute cuddly kid. As much at home in the realm of post rock/ post metal as in the black metal underground. 

While Furze will probably remain a kvlt black metal thing, if given a chance (especially Necromanzee Cogent) it will appeal to a much wider fanbase.  This is bold experimental music that deserves a listen.

Furze – Necromanzee Cogent

Year of Release – 2006

Label – Candlelight