### Vallenfyre: A fragile king

#### 16/02/12 || Smalley

When it comes to even the classic metal records, while they may have highly intelligent songwriting or incredible aggression, it’s still pretty rare to find one that truly taps into the primal feelings of dread every human being is born with. Fortunately, if you’ve been searching for just such a record, consider your journey to be at an end with Vallenfyre’s “A fragile king”, the 2011 debut from this death/doom supergroup, made up of members from goth/doom-ers like My Dying Bride & Paradise Lost (and, well, Cradle Of Filth, but I won’t hold that against them). Almost everything about this album, from the crushing production, to the desolate, Book Of Revelation-ish lyrics, to the bleak growls, work in concert to give us this unique, downtrodden, and highly compelling listen, and what’s more, I may have never have heard of this if it wasn’t for February’s Audio Autopsy; thanks, I guess you’re good for something after all!

But all teasing aside, let’s get back to the record at hand… the first thing that really hits you about “king” is that rhythm guitar production; opener “All we suffer” starts with a lil’ bit of guitar-squealing, then the rhythm kicks in with this heavy, thick, dirty sound, perfectly suited to help create the dark atmosphere fyre wanted here. A good amount of the material, especially the slower sections, brings to mind some of Tom Warrior’s recent work in teh Frost and Triptykon, in that it has kind of a depressed feel to it, but depressed in a badass way, no emo shit. It’s gloomy like a funeral dirge for Satan would be, especially with those incredibly vivid, tortured lyrics, so it isn’t about to reduce to you a blubbering mass of fetal-position or anything.

But back to that production; it has this meaty, Swedeath-y chainsaw edge to it, which the band puts to good use, utilizing it in either methodically pounding (and oddly catchy) doom-y riffs, groovier mid-tempo playing, or in somewhat thrashier (but still entertaining) material, which manage to pack a bigger sound punch than most actual thrash due to the doom-inspired production. Slower or faster, anything sounds good here due to that killer production, but if you were hoping to hear an all-Ahab tempos album, you’re shit outta luck; while the first track is all-around slower, a good deal of the rest of the record speeds things up, meaning that that the “doom” part of their death/doom equation comes more from having a doom-y guitar sound than tempos.

Still, the band does like to sprinkle in the occasional slower, pounding section even on the faster tracks, which ensures a good variety and flow between the two extremes. Anyway, the faster parts do still have a bit of a doom-y feel to ‘em, and, despite a dud track or two, fyre’s riffs are pretty unstoppable no matter what speed they are; it’s like listening to a massive chainsaw strapped to a massive bulldozer, where just hearing it makes you feel like you’re being steadily ground under into dust. It’s sort of like listening to a musical version of this thing on the left, and Gregor Mackintosh’s powerful, demonic growling only adds to that crushing vibe.

Looking back on it now, I think I would actually like to hear Vallen experiment with a mostly-slow record, with more of that awesome, apocalyptic, end-of-the-world vibe to it. Yeah, I know I said in AA that I felt this was a lil’ too sluggish overall, but that was before I’d really gotten used to Vallen’s unique style; with additional exposure, this really does feel more and more “right” to my ears. Still, despite coming to think that they put too much emphasis on the speedier stuff, “A fragile king” is still a nice, thick, juicy slab of distinctive, personality-laden death/doom, so all I can say in the end is good work, Phallicfry.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Century Media
- Website: www.vallenfyre.co.uk
- Band
- Gregor Mackintosh: vocals, lead guitar
- Hamish Hamilton Glencross: lead & rhythm guitar
- Mully: rhythm guitar
- Scoot: bass
- Adrian Erlandsson: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. All Will Suffer
- 02. Desecration
- 03. Ravenous Whore
- 04. Cathedrals of Dread
- 05. As The World Collapses
- 06. A Thousand Martyrs
- 07. Seeds
- 08. Humanity Wept
- 09. My Black Siberia
- 10. The Divine Have Fled
- 11. The Grim Irony