After reviewing the works of Rhinocervs, I took an interest in the two bands that spawned that entity: Odz Manouk and Tukaaria. I remember listening to them over a decade ago, but I never took the time to truly appreciate them because I was listening to so many other bands at the time. I will now seek to rectify that.
Odz Manouk - Odz Manouk
Odz Manouk was formed in 2005 by Devon Yagian-Boutelle. In honor of his Armenian ancestry, he named the band after a figure from Armenian mythology. Like many other one-man acts, it took him a while to get off the ground. He did not release his first full-length album until five years after the band's formation. The cover art is an edit of "The Pinochle Player" by Gustave Dore, and the way it's edited immediately lures you in, encouraging you to unravel its mysteries.
The production is rather clean, but just distorted enough to create a dark and foreboding atmosphere. Musically, they are heavily inspired by Darkthrone, but they also include elements from various American black metal bands as well as the French Black Legions. For the most part the drums play aggressive, minimalist blast beats heavily influenced by the likes of Fenriz, but there are moments when they play some creeping slow rhythms, especially in the later half of the album. The bass mostly follows the guitars, but they're high enough in the mix to give the music a greater sense of depth.
Out of the darkness come strangled raspy vocals that sound remarkably similar to Leviathan, and just like in that band, these vocals create a general feeling of shadowy terror. The guitars are the main driving force. The many tremolo riffs are dark and frigid, as is to be expected of such music, but they also possess a strange occult quality that makes them all the more atmospheric and impactful. This unsettling mood is further enhanced by the many melodic high-pitched chord progressions, some of which draw heavy inspiration from depressive black metal. There are even songs like "The Indisciplinarian" that feature emotional leads.
This is one of the best black metal albums I've ever heard. They combined several different influences into something that is entirely their own, something that possesses a special mystic quality that many others lack.
Tukaaria - Raw to the Rapine
Tukaaria was formed by Austin Omar Delgadillo in 2010. Their name comes from the Yaqui word for night, a most accurate descriptor for their music. Their first release was a split with Volahn, which was put out in January 2011. Two months later, they released their only full-length album Raw to the Rapine, which was distributed through Rhinocervs' record label. It was then re-released two years later by Fallen Empire Records.
Just like with Odz Manouk's self-titled full-length, the production here strikes a balance between frigid darkness and clarity. The music is primitive and savage Darkthrone worship on the surface, but the longer it goes on, the more it reveals its hidden complexities. The drums play an almost constant blast beat assault that is made even more destructive by the harsh snare sound and clattering cymbals. On certain occasions, such as on "Transfixion" and the title track, they draw back the tempo and play rhythms that are less chaotic and more contemplative. Being quite prominent in the mix, the intricate bass riffs make the music sound more dynamic and give it an extra layer of depth. The ones on the title track are the most interesting.
The angry raspy vocals don't have the reverb you would expect from black metal like this, but they more than make up for it with the passion they exude. The guitar work is amazing. They start off the album with cold and desolate tremolo riffs, then they play strange and discordant riffs on the second track. "Chasms in Creation" features darker passages that conjure up images of raging storms. Standing in stark constrast is the very next song "Prehistoric Silence," which showcases more melodic arrangements. "Glorifying Atrophy" feels like a fusion of the three songs that came before it, for its riffs are dark, discordant, and melodic. The most somber arrangements are reserved for the final track.
After several listens, Raw to the Rapine has become one of my favorite black metal albums. They took the Darkthrone formula, added many fine details, and eventually created something passionate and captivating, something that transcends the sum of its parts.
Odz Manouk & Tukaaria - Odz Manouk/Tukaaria Split
Instinctively knowing that they both had a similar spiritual nature, Odz Manouk and Tukaaria released a split album through their Rhinocervs label on May 27, 2011. Though I never listened to this until recently, the cover art intrigued me every time I saw it: desolate soil and rivers of blood being lifted up and swept away by supernaturally powerful storms. It has an almost biblical quality to it.
Tukaaria is up first. The production quality is a bit more raw than it was on Raw to the Rapine, but all the elements are still quite audible, including the bass. Speaking of which, the music has become much more complex, and the elaborate bass riffs are the most obvious sign of this. The drums still play plenty of minimalist blast beats, but they also include various flourishes throughout. The raspy vocals are still filled with rage, but it's the guitars that have developed the most. The tremolo riffs, instead of remaining confined to conventional black metal formulas, have an elaborate turning and weaving quality, especially on "Mythology." Sometimes these riffs are dark and cold and other times they are more dream-like.
Odz Manouk plays the last two songs. They're re-recordings of tracks from the self-titled full-length, so there's not much to talk about. The production quality is still cold and menacing, the drums still play strong blast beats and creeping slow rhythms, the raspy vocals still have a spine-chilling strangled quality, and the guitars still play frigid tremolo riffs and magical high-pitched chord progressions.
This split shows off the best parts of each band. Tukaaria's raw aggression and Odz Manouk's foreboding atmosphere are on full display here. It is quite the amazing listen.
Odz Manouk - Bosoragazan
Tukaaria broke up at some point in the mid-2010s, but Odz Manouk still lived on. They lied dormant for a decade, but in 2023, they released two full-length albums on the same day. Because of this, I will review them in alphabetical order.
Bosoragazan is first. The production still strikes a balance between sounding clean and cold, but the music takes a surprising turn, for although it has the same foundation, it has evolved into something more detailed and intricate. The blast beats feel more vibrant, like flesh magically bestowed to old bones. In between these sections the drums play intriguing slow-paced patterns, and there is also a greater number of fills. I was most amazed by the pounding rhythms on the final track. The bass can still be heard quite well, and they still play plenty of excellent riffs.
The raspy vocals sound less strangled and more demented, a trait that becomes even more apparent during those moments, such as on "Arevordik," when they sound less harsh. These sections make Yagian sound like a madman invoking dark and ancient powers. The guitars astound once again. The tremolo riffs still have a dark and occult quality, but now they have a stronger sense of atmosphere, one that expresses a transcendent quality similar to that which is found in the Cascadian scene. The same is also true of the mid-paced chord progressions, some of which possess a ritualistic quality, such as those on "Arevordik." They also still play the high-pitched passages that made their first album so haunting and unsettling. The most notable of these are the ones on "The Last Bastion of the Serpent's Tongue."
Despite being away for so long, Odz Manouk are still capable of creating black metal that is intricate and compelling. "Arevordik" is one of the most captivating metal songs I've ever heard.
Odz Manouk - Tzurr
Now we turn our attention to Tzurr. This is where the band shows their more deranged side. Not only are the blast beats more common, they're also more aggressive. The mid-paced rhythms and fills are still in plentiful supply, but it's the blast beats that truly shine here. The raspy vocals are still crazed, but in a different way, as if they were being made by some mutant that crawled out of the dark recesses of the Earth. Once again the guitar work is incredible. Many of the high-pitched tremolo riffs create a sense of dread, but there are still others that have an enrapturing mystic quality to them. In the midst of all this, they still play profound melodies. This was such a great album. It makes me wonder what they'll do next.