Scour – Black (Review)

Scour Black

We could sit here all day and deliberate on the many different bands that has Philip Anselmo simply because of the fact that there are so f*cking many of them, almost coming close to rival names like Dave Ingram or Rogga Johansson, but I’m getting distracted. The sheer diversity of acts that Anselmo boasts is something that is more than interesting no matter who you are, but it is almost undoubtedly his relatively new band of Scour that has caused the most buzz across the world of metal. With this being the only active black metal act that Anselmo has an active part in, it was only natural that many would flock to the name just because of his involvement alone. It was the first two offerings from Scour that didn’t really grasp my attention since it still felt like the band was trying to figure out how to execute their sound well, but it is undoubtedly with their fresh EP that is fittingly named “Black” that Scour has accomplished nothing but great success.

It’s right out of the gate on any release from Scour that you come to realize just how ravenous this act is with the unmitigated fury that they wield always being a constant in virtually every track that they bring forth. But, it is specifically with their impending release of “Black” that we see Scour really come into their own as a cohesive unit that is not only capable of chaos and destruction the likes of which we’ve been seeing since the band’s appearance four years ago, but it’s here that it all feels so much more calculated as Scour’s assaults hit home in a way that cannot be denied when it comes to the raw power that they wield in every moment. Black metal can thrive in many different forms whether it be an active effort to create chaos or with a more strict structure to its devastation that can be just as fascinating, and it’s somehow here that Scour has managed to achieve both with a true tenacity that is only to be admired. “Black” is far from the most complex work of the style with it being damn near simplistic in virtually every way with that greatly work to Scour’s advantage as they show us bit by bit just how well they’ve honed their sound over the last few years to allow this EP to become as infectious as it is devastating in every measure, and it’s upon each successive listen that what Scour has accomplished here becomes much more apparent in its glory.

In every way, there’s a lot more going on within this release that really shows us what Scour is capable of, and it’s all five offerings within “Black” that we see it done to tremendous effect all the way around. This is what’s undoubtedly one of the biggest names to rocket through the black metal scene in recent years with each release being something to note in some way or another. Evidently, “Black” is far from different.

“Black” releases on November 27th via Nuclear Blast Records! You can pre-order “Black” via multiple sources here, and listen to the singles from “Black” on Bandcamp here.

Track Listing:
1. Doom
2. Nail
3. Propaganda
4. Flames
5. Microbes
6. Subprime