UFO BLACK METAL PT. 1: AHULABRUM – ‘MAGONIA’ [2005]
Step aside, plebeians! It is time to explore the outer reaches of refined black metal tastes. The UFO Black Metal subgenre crash-landed on Earth somewhere around the 2000s and quickly became one of my latest obsessions with its otherworldly mix of cryptids, UFOs, and government shadiness. It’s like the Illuminati decided to form a band, but with questionable production values and fewer secret handshakes.
One band that can be considered a cornerstone of this micro-genre is Ahulabrum – a West Virginia black metal anomaly as mysterious as a cat burglar with a PhD in quantum physics. The lineup reads like a guest list for an intergalactic soiree – Indrid Cold on guitars and vocals, and Vadig keeping the beat like a cosmic metronome. Back in the glory days of 2005 to 2006, Ahulabrum cranked out demos and an EP, all while trying to establish a direct hotline to E.T. Fast forward to the present, where Ahulabrum is making a comeback just in time for the U.S. government to finally admit, “Yeah, we’ve been seeing some weird stuff in the sky.” Coincidence? I think not. It’s almost as if Ahulabrum predicted the government’s U-turn on UFO acknowledgments and decided to ride the extraterrestrial wave.
In this cheeky retrospective, we dive into Ahulabrum’s discography like paranormal investigators searching for the holy grail of black metal. Are their tunes the key to unlocking the secrets of Area 51, or just a soundtrack for alien dance parties? Could they be a psyop run by the CIA to corrupt the most powerful black metal elitists? Join us as we sift through their releases and see if we strike gold or get anal probed
Ahulabrum – Magonia [Demo 2005]
Their debut effort, “Magonia,” from 2005 is the sonic equivalent of a UFO abduction, but with more charm and less probing. This lo-fi black metal gem takes us on a quirky rollercoaster through the unexplored corners of musical oddities. Throughout the brief running time of 21 minutes, a mysterious atmosphere hangs in the air like a UFO over Roswell, and the music is charmingly unbalanced and strange. Their peculiar brand of black metal offered here is almost drumless, with weird, otherworldly percussive sounds that could make even a Martian tap their three-toed foot. The tremolo-picked guitars boast surprisingly low levels of distortion, creating an auditory experience that’s like finding a black metal album in Area 51 – unexpected and slightly disorienting. The whole thing is topped off with genre-typical screeching and incomprehensible samples, because who needs understandable vocals when you’re communicating with intergalactic beings? Similarly, the lyrics are so elusive they make Bigfoot look like a regular on a daytime talk show.
What sets “Magonia” apart is its clever avoidance of black metal clichés. The tracks, appropriately titled after UFO sightings, take inspiration from encounters with entities that have been haunting humanity since the fae were the hot gossip in town. And let’s not forget the name drop – “Magonia” takes its moniker from Jacques Vallee’s “Passport To Magonia,” a must-read for anyone who wants to upgrade their UFO knowledge beyond the typical “little green men” trope. Vallee lays down some truth bombs about UFOs masquerading as faeries and angels throughout history, and Ahulabrum transforms it into a musical séance.
Now, onto the production critique – if “Magonia” had a touch more reverb and delay, it could transport listeners into a dimension where black metal and UFOs waltz together under the celestial disco ball. The dry production, however, gives it an experimental, art-house vibe that screams, “We’re not your standard black metal – we’re the cool kids at the UFO convention.” In the grand scheme of alien encounters, “Magonia” is a cosmic ride worth taking. Ahulabrum’s fusion of black metal and UFO lore is done with such finesse that even skeptics might find themselves checking the sky for flying saucers.
Rating: 7/10
Check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF9Uj2L0oUs&t=213s
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