Furze’s Reaper Subconscious Guide is a masterclass in unorthodox blackened doom, channeling the eerie essence of early black metal while paying undeniable tribute to the dark psychedelia and Sabbathian doom of the 70s. Woe J. Reaper, the enigmatic architect behind the project, continues to push boundaries, crafting an album that feels simultaneously ancient and alien—like some long-lost relic buried beneath layers of necrotic fuzz and occult atmospheres. Adding to its otherworldly aura, the album was recorded exclusively on analog equipment, ensuring a raw, organic sound that crackles with vintage warmth and untamed energy.
At its core, Reaper Subconscious Guide thrives on a raw, analog warmth, its sound a swirling cauldron of eerie vocals, lumbering doom riffs, and spectral atmospherics. The album lurches forth with an unearthly presence, invoking Hellhammer’s primitive filth, Black Sabbath’s hypnotic groove, and a fever-dream quality reminiscent of long-forgotten acid rock obscurities. Tracks like "Earlier Than the Third Might of the Cosmos" twist and coil with bizarre vocal intonations, offset by riffs that drip with a sinister, ceremonial aura. "The Bonedrum" stands as a highlight—a slow-burning dirge that melds hypnotic basslines, ghostly bells, and an unsettling vocal delivery that feels like a séance echoing through a cavernous void.
Furze has always existed on the fringes, too raw and unsettling for mainstream metal yet too intricate and methodical to be dismissed as chaos. Reaper Subconscious Guide is no exception—it is an album of shadowed corridors, leading listeners down paths both familiar and unnervingly new. The exclusive use of analog recording equipment only deepens its sense of immersion, making every moment feel as if it was conjured straight from the depths of a forgotten past. A fever-drenched journey where doom and black metal intertwine, this record cements Furze’s status as one of Norway’s most cryptic and fascinating outliers.
