Slechtvalk is the Dutch name of a certain falcon. To be precise, the Falco Peregrinus. A book I consulted says "no other bird of prey strikes its victims so much into fear, has such a raging speed and kills in such an advanced and fast manner". So, the Slechtvalk is a bird of extremes. Shamgar, mastermind behind Slechtvalk, was apparently inspired by this bird to name his latest project Slechtvalk. There are similarities as Falconry is an extreme album filled with nine black metal songs. Don't expect nine speedy tracks though. Only three songs have real speedy parts. Especially in the third track In Hell I Burn which is the most extreme song on the disc. A harsh black metal tune with machine gun drumming without apparent keyboard playing in the first half, only piano in the second half. Falconry has a variety of sounds. Most of the songs feature ethereal keyboards, dark guitarriffs and Shamgar's harsh shrieking. There are some real beautiful songs and ideas though more changes in speed here and there couldn't harm. The production is taken care of very well resulting in an enigmatic and yet hard hitting album. Probably the best song is Cries Of The Haunted with everything that can make black metal exciting. Warning: You might enjoy this album....
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #89Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt"...A soft breeze rustled the leaves of the forest's canopy as night began to fall. A man, called Shamgar by some, wandered along a hunter's trail, almost overgrown by the forest's lush undergrowth, the sound of his footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of pine needles and leaves underfoot. Shamgar carried a falcon, named Slechtvalk, on one leather-gloved wrist. A small leather hood covered the…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by D_ListerThere seem to be two sides to the black metal fence. Many people pick a side and then argue quite intensely that they are on the right side and those on the other side are wrong. (Ever read the Dr. Seuss book called The Butter Battle Book?) Those sides are simply put extreme or raw black metal and atmospheric black metal. The major difference is the reliance on keyboards or not. With Slechtvalk,…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by GrindboyI wasn't sure what to expect with this album, but I took Sorg's recommendation and am quite pleased! Combine Kekal's aggression and (very well programmed) drum machine with very Antestor-ish vocals and keys with the "plunk out a melody" philosophy heard on Lengsel's Stille Dualisme, for example, and that should be a decent description of the Slechtvalk sound. The keys do from time to time take on…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by SORGThis is an amazing release from the Dutch black metal band Slechtvalk! Falconry is a cd that is sure to stay in my disc changer for a long time to come! The overall style is "symphonic" or "atmospheric" black metal similar to bands like Antestor or Dimmu Borgir. The music is mostly mid-paced (with a couple of fast songs) and quite dark sounding. Slechtvalk mastermind Shamgar plays all the…Similar sounding releases
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