If You Like That, Try This || Limbonic Art - Lycanthropic Tales

There is a whole slew of symphonic black metal bands out there, diverse enough to appeal to a wide range of musical pallets.  So why is it that everyone always goes back to Dimmu Borgir as the end all in the genre?  Don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoy Dimmu’s early records, but the last few have left me feeling unsatisfied.  I for one, do not love too slick or clean of production in black metal--I don’t necessarily want something recorded on a dictaphone in a cave either (although there are a few of those I do like).  Bridging the gap between ‘upscale’ and ‘grim’ production is no easy feat and will win a band hordes of haters on both sides.  Several bands however, have successfully done so without damaging their credibility (too much) i.e. Immortal, or the subject of this article Limbonic Art (and also others that I'm not going to name right now).

Limbonic Art has been doing the damn thing since 1993 in Norway until they briefly split in 2003, only to reform again in 2006 (06/06/06 to be exact).  The band is now, due to some line-up changes, essentially the one-man project of founding member Daemon.  Since 2007’s ‘Legacy of Evil’, Daemon has produced no new material for Limbonic Art.  instead, released two separate ‘best of’ compilations.  Presumably, Daemon is busy working on his other musical project Nocternity, though the Limbonic Art page still lists them as active.  While I won’t make any comparisons between them and Dimmu, I hope to open your mind to the existence of other (better) symphonic black metal, but I will say, if you like that, try this.  You can hear the track ‘Lycanthropic Tales’ from their latest full length by pressing play above.