Blood of the Black Owl is a one-man metal band whose latest disc A FERAL SPIRIT embraces the worship of nature and its aesthetic beauty but not before it takes you by the throat to drag you down into the depths of the abyss. This sprawling nine-track excursion enlists unorthodox Native American instrumentation, animal and nature soundclips, enlightening use of organ, and crushingly slow funeral doom tempos to comprise a haunting aura (“Void”) while the troll under the bridge spoken-word into hysterical-crying vocals chronicle the painful journey from the throes of addiction (“Forest of Decrepitude”). Setting a deliberately straggling pace dripping with fuzzed-out black metal despair interspersed with left of center interludes, Blood of the Black Owl’s malice-filled ambiance and steady streams of atmosphere illuminate a mystic journey from damnation to salvation. www.bindrunerecordings.com –Mike SOS