Though I’m not a big fan of black metal, Chthonic caught my eye right off the bat. Why? Cuz the band hail from my homeland of Taiwan, and apparently are hugely popular there. No, I didn’t know there was a metal scene in Taiwan either (I moved away at the age of 10 in ’87 and have only returned once, in ’94). Yes, the band’s birthplace differentiates them from all the other black metal bands I could care less about. Not just cuz of our shared ethnicity, either: Chthonic, like black metal’s pioneers, have done a superb job integrating their cultural heritage into their music. Sure, one could argue that black metal – with its roots traceable back to death, thrash, heavy metal, and rock ‘n’ roll in general – in and of itself is a Western art form, but Chthonic’s use of Chinese, aboriginal Taiwanese tongue, English, and the traditional Asian instrument of er-hu is more than enough to claim their spin on the genre as their own. Seediq Bale, the group’s fourth record, recalls the struggle of aboriginal Taiwanese tribes against the invasion of mainland Han Chinese and Japanese forces with skilled, blackened precision. Think Cradle Of Filth’s peak (Dusk… and Her Embrace): female vocals, descending-into-madness riffs, keyboard flourishes, blast beats and double bass, all recorded with just the right balance of rawness and polish. With the er-hu providing extra sadness, the results are emotional, powerful, and crushing.

And then there’s the story. Written in all three of the aforementioned languages, the tale of the Seediq is one of blood-boiling epicness. Especially if you can read Chinese: it’s blatantly obvious that vocalist Freddy Lin has full control over the language’s poetic flexibility. With just the right combination of words, he is able to relate oceans of blood, tears, and spiritual warfare with descriptive ease. Though I don’t know if Lin is of mainland Han ancestry, Taiwanese Fujian ancestry, or a descendent of aboriginal Taiwanese tribes like Seediq, the stories contained within this album are enough to make me want to do some researching (I myself am a grandchild of mainland Hans who migrated to Taiwan after WWII).

Taiwan’s music scene, as well as black metal in general, has come a long way. With Chthonic as a valued member to both, there is no reason to not dig Seediq Bale.
www.chthonic.org
www.downportmusic.com

Tim Den

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 Past Constructive Criticism

david posted the following Constructive Criticism: first of all, I'll start off by saying I'm a huge fan of black metal. I live in South Africa which isn't very huge in the black metal scene. However, after watching MTV's headbanger's ball one night, I witnessed a Cthonic video and fell in love with them. went to Scotland for a holiday and bought Seediq Bale there. anyway. enough of me. to the album. The first time I listened to the album was in my car and I was rather impressed, there sound is like an amalgamation of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle Of Filth, listening to the album properly at home, a beautiful concept album is discovered. with lyrical and musical themes running consistent throughout the album. you cannont just listen to one song, but you have to listen to the whole album to be blown away. and the traditional erhu used just adds to the emotion. i'm really impressed with this band and I love concept albums and this is one of my favourite, to just listen to the whole album and get sucked into the story and feel the suffering of these people. so you cheap bastards, don't go downloading one or two songs, buy the album and enjoy. apologies for any grammar errors or mistakes in general. It's 2 in the morning and I'm posting this review on my phone. black metal rules!

dearizam posted the following Constructive Criticism: They are the best Black Metal band in Asis!