Babalon’s Bands IV - Ultra Violence (Ultra Silvam)
Ultra Silvam are a band which kind of came out of nowhere to me. Ok they came out of Malmö you smartass but what I mean is that I haven't heard the name and next thing I knew, I was hooked. That's how quick it happens kids.
The band formed in 2015 and except for their initials and promo pics, very little is known about who the fuck these people are. They go by M.A (bass and vocals,) O.R (guitars) and A.L (drums) but Ill talk about them via their respective roles as they had no lineup changes yet. So if you see me dancing around a title like I was a singing bear in the Jungle Book, that's why.
It would be two years before the band released an official demo. It was the year of our lord 2017, Britain was contemplating Brexit, Robert Mugabe officially became the "former" Zimbabwean president and Ultra Silvam came out swinging. In 13 short minutes (and 29 shorter seconds,) the band gave us a taste of what was to come. Their sharp, abrasive sound was already starting to show its teeth and unveil its aggressive potential. While I wouldn't say that these early, early recordings are an absolute must, if after two albums and a live record you're still hungry, it's definitely a fun 13 minutes. It also has a track you won't find anywhere else, namely "Crooked Horned Prophet."
Their debut however, "The Spearwound Salvation," is definitely a must. Finding an album that doesn't sacrifice brutality for sharpness and manages to walk that line with grace is rare indeed, but Ultra Silvam do just that. It's a whirlwind of knives in that airy early-Destruction kind of way. Clocking in at 27 minutes, the album doesn't meander at all. It's fitting that it has the word "spear" in the title as that's what it feels like, an exact and meticulous spearpoint, carefully sharpened so you couldn't touch it without drawing blood. No idea why the title has salvation in it though.
I am not a huge live albums guy so I'll just mosey on up to 2022 and their sophomore album, "The Sanctity of Death." The album's title again has a deep resonance with the sound. On "The Sanctity of Death," we find Ultra Silvam gearing up to present bigger sounds, bigger concepts, and a bigger sense of reverence to their source material.
While the band definitely brings a greater sense of bombast and ambition to the sophomore, it is by building a very intricate picture with a lot of parts. The guitarist in particular channels his spearpoint sharpness into these twisted melodies and an atmosphere of deeply fucked up worship. The sophomore is catchier than the debut and a bit more melodic, but it by no means lets go of the trigger. It's odd, while it is more melodic, the onslaught driving the album is so violent that I couldn't in good conscious say it's MeloBlack. But whatever it is, it's uniquely brutal, and I for one am looking forwards to spitting blood through my broken teeth to it.
So it's almost exactly a year after release, what are they doing now? Well, aside for a western European tour alongside the venerable Balmog (excellent Spanish/Catalan black metal) in March, I don't know. But whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be horrifying
P.S
If you are like me and were curious about what Ultra Silvam means literally, it means “Beyond the Forest” which was an old name for Transylvania.
