Review: Lammoth ‘Tales Of Treachery’

A self-described one-hobbit black metal project, Lammoth resides in the beautiful Appalachian range of Western North Carolina. While there is no shortage of Tolkein inspired metal, this little hobbit truly embraces his identity. The album cover (created by the Asheville local Ramza Illustration) shows a hobbit holding an Elven blade in one hand and a glowing phial in the other while preparing to battle a massive spider.

This is one of the elements that drew me to listen to the album over so many other Lord Of The Rings inspired bands. Most people want to be a wizard, a ranger, or a wood-elf, but Lammoth aligns with the character of a humble hobbit. And as our friend Gandalf says in The Fellowship Of The Ring, ‘Hobbits really are amazing creatures… you can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you at a pinch.’ And oh, do we have some surprises from this artist!

The opening synths and drums for Ungoliant’s Last Child sound like something right out of a video game; I imagined myself guiding a character through the opening scenes taking place in a dungeon. We are then greeted by an absolutely magnificent transition into tremolo-picked atmospheric leads and pummeling double bass. I felt as though I had become the character I was guiding and stumbled into an epic forest. Synths and heavily reverberated vocals add layers to the atmosphere. A very solid and gripping opener with darker moments sprinkled in amongst the beauty.

This push and pull between the dark/heavy and the hopeful is a strong theme across this long player…

Our halfling friend steps it up on the next track Lunar Tales Of Fire And Magic with a thrashy and blisteringly fast opening riff that inspires the feeling of going to war. Dark synths accompany, giving a sense of dread and despair. It is one of the more brutal moments on the album but leads into perhaps the most triumphant of sequences. This push and pull between the dark/heavy and the hopeful is a strong theme across this long player but is especially apparent on this track. In a recent interview with Blacforje Magazine, Lammoth tells us ‘in most of my songs I really try to contrast a lot of the more diabolical evil black metal moments with more hopeful uplifting parts’. Lunar Tales Of Fire And Magic absolutely nails this approach, beginning the journey dark but ending triumphant – ‘Rising high on the wings of eagles. To the moon, alas, fly on’.           

We are thrown our first surprise on Ascending The Steps Of Minas Morgul, which opens with the staples of a black metal song: tremolo leads and some palm muted riffs, blast beats and synth. Just a couple minutes in, we are suddenly thrown into a drum machine and synth laden soundscape. It is a fun surprise that makes me think of the previously referenced Gandalf quote. The song ends on a heavier feel, with some ridiculously fast (yet still very tasteful) riffs giving way to a power chord ringing out, signaling the end of the metal portion of the album.

As an album ender, we are transported back to The Shire, while perhaps in thoughts only. Brandywine Memories is vastly different from the previous tracks, really leaning into the electronic sound. There are still guitars, but their role is to create a thickness to the atmosphere, while synths form melodies and the drums embrace an electronic dance vibe. I imagine this would be the music Shirefolk would create were they to get their hands on a drum machine and some electric guitars. It is a much welcomed final chapter to the wonderful short story that is Tales Of Treachery.

Label: Fiadh Productions
Band Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Ben Brackin