Loits – Must Album
Nailboard Records – Board 019 – June 4, 2007
By Wayward_Son
We end our string of reviews detailing Estonian metal bands with
Loits’ recent release,
Must Album. If you are even remotely familiar with the Baltic area, then
Loits should be mentioned along with the well-known
Skyforger and
Obtest. If you are not acquainted with
Loits, Faithful Reader, their history is brief, but rather interesting.
Must Album is their third outing, after humble beginnings as an above average Pagan black metal band. After the band’s second album was released, they endured sharp criticism and accusations from fickle fans that began claiming
Loits was part of the NSBM movement. It ends up, however, all these accusations stemmed from band photos depicting the members dressed in World War II German uniforms. A history lesson this is not, so go read up. The fact remains that
Loits is not NSMB, so you sensitive types can relax.
This writer is very familiar with
Loits, having heard both previous albums. The truth remains, though, that neither one of those albums truly had any staying power and were soon collecting dust.
Vere kutse kohustab was a decent Pagan black metal release with folk touches. The main problem yours truly had with it was the lack of authentic atmosphere of World War II, the band’s theme.
Loits still plays a form of black metal with some rock thrown in, though. However, the folk and epic feel on previous albums is all but gone. Now we get a darker, more sinister
Loits. For the most part it works. The band plays at all tempos, keeping the songs interesting and making up for a lack of the mystical. If a comparison can be made, this sounds like a watered down version of
Enslaved’s latest outputs. The vocals are well done, being either deep, clean vocals or a low black metal rasp. Of course, the lyrics are sung in their native tongue. The biggest difference between
Must Album and the
Loits of old is the darker feel of the album. Gone is the triumphant, replaced by a brooding darkness and hopelessness. Granted, it does give the band’s sound more poignancy. If you are looking for battlefield heroics and marches to honorable deaths, look elsewhere.
It honestly is difficult to criticize a band like
Loits. Their hearts are in the right places, and this writer can honestly say they have released their best album to date. Unfortunately, this is one band that has eluded this writer’s grasp, and continues to do so. If you do enjoy a fairly different take on the black metal blueprint, give
Must Album a shot.
Official Loits Website
Official Nailboard Records Website
