Merrimack - "In the Halls of White Death"
Most metal music videos fail to live up to the music. If they're not completely uninspired (hello, band playing in a warehouse/the woods/on stage), they're downright goofy (hello, Immortal). There are a few diamonds in the rough, whether through novel concepts or proficient execution. Mastodon, Cannibal Corpse, and Amon Amarth all have solid track records in those areas. Then there are videos like "In the Halls of White Death."
I don't know if this video's genesis was with the band or co-directors Jeanphilippe Malric and Marc Obregon, but it walks a line between art and shock for its own sake. Black & white cinematography is a given, as are other black metal aesthetics: blood, goats, occult rituals. It is exquisitely photographed but retains an organic feel. Lingering shots replace the quick cuts so often associated with music videos, adding to the unease of the subject matter.
There's no real narrative, but rather a collection of provocative imagery. It's very reminiscent of La Fin Absolue du Monde (The Absolute End of the World), from John Carpenter's Masters Of Horror episode "Cigarette Burns." The notorious film is described as so horrific that it drives anyone who views it to violence.
Overall, this video isn't much more edgy or controversial than the typical black metal clip. Yes, there is full frontal nudity, blasphemous images, and a transvestite goat-woman (maybe) raping a girl. But will anyone seeking out this video be shocked by these things? If you're into Merrimack (reviewed here), you probably listen to a good amount of black metal. A few scenes might make you do a double-take, but compared to some of the horrible events that happened within this genre, reality is stranger than fiction.
Labels: black metal, crowella, france, videos
3 Comments:
It kind of reminds me of something Bunuel or Jodorowsky might do but about a hundred times more gruesome (well, maybe only 5x more in Jodorowsky's case). This guys are seemingly way into ritual and magic. Agreed about the clip: this is one of the only music videos I've seen in forever that generates some relevant and compelling atmosphere and actually enhances the music.
The worst part about metal videos comes down to the editing for me. And it's pretty bad here too. Everything inside the frame should dictate the emotion of the video, and not the editing style. Really, this jarring sort of editing is a cheap attempt at forcing emotion with gimmicky technique in the place of solid craftsmanship. It's just a bad tasting supplement (though popular nowadays).
That promo video you posted for Portal's Swarth was excellent. Conveyed everything it set out to do, all in one take, even, I think...
You know what would be REALLY shocking? Coming up with a viable, sustainable alternative to global capitalism. ;) Satanism? Goats? Blood? Sex? Yawn.
This album is utterly boring, btw.
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