Artist: Falsum
Country: USA
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Demo
Year: 2025
If I am well informed, this new one-man band is helmed by the drummer of Black Hurst, a band that I have been following because of their original and rather unique take on the Black Metal genre. Although Falsum is not quite the same as Black Hurst, both bands do share a creative and adventurous nature. Falsum, too, is not your average (one-man) Black Metal band and certainly has lots to offer for those who like their Black Metal a tad more interesting than the usual Gorgoroth copy.
Still, the musical foundations of Falsum are to be found within the framework of traditional Black Metal, evidenced by the grainy and raw guitars and equally harsh vocal delivery. But it is the dirging tempo and the mournful riffing that makes the music of ‘Privation’, making it fit very well to the title of this 2-track demo. The anonymous figure behind the band certainly knows how to build tension and to keep the listener’s attention throughout the full 14 minutes with eerie melodies and a constant and almost playful change of tempo and rhythm.
The blending of doomy atmospheres with the more standard pieces of the Black Metal toolbox makes ‘Privation’ a more than alluring piece of music from which a profound musical depth radiates. This is further enhanced by the somewhat atonal and dissonant manner of guitar playing, giving the listener something to chew on for many spins, as the music tends to get only better with each additional spin. As with much art, the real secrets will unfold for those who give it adequate time and attention.
