J-Man
With an album title like Frostbitepanzerfuck, it should be immediately clear that Pennsylvania's The Beyond don't take themselves too seriously - and, especially in a genre like black metal, that's much appreciated from time to time. With lyrics discussing goat sodomy, rape, zombies, and plenty of other topics, Frostbitepanzerfuck isn't afraid to poke fun at some of black metal's stereotypes, and (thankfully) The Beyond also has the talent to back it up. Although this debut is not without faults, it's a strongly original and entertaining entrance statement from this Harrisburg quartet.
The music on Frostbitepanzerfuck is a pretty even mix of ice-cold Norwegian black metal and lethal crust punk; some tracks like "Roto-Cunt", "Necro Overload", and "Cunt Sucking Cannibal (G.G. Allin)" draw heavily from hardcore tradition, but other tracks like "Goat Sodomizer" and "Frostbitepanzerfuck" sound like pure old school black metal. The Beyond demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of both styles throughout the album, as there is never a drop in quality when they decide to shift gears. While the album clocks in at only 28 minutes, it is fully captivating from start to finish. The musicianship is tight without sounding mechanical, and I also really enjoy the album's strong production; as raw as it sounds in many regards, all of the instruments come through clearly and powerfully. I especially have to applaud the way the drums sound here - I just can't get enough of those tight, ringing snare drum hits!
As cool as Frostbitepanzerfuck's mix of crust punk and black metal is, though, I can't help but wish that The Beyond mixed the two styles a bit more thoroughly. The album seems to be pretty evenly split between punk-oriented and metallic songs, and hearing both sounds in the same track would've probably made for a less disjointed listen. Frostbitepanzerfuck is still great as it stands, but it feels a bit more like a song-based album than a fully cohesive observation. The heavily misogynistic lyrics in "Roto-Cunt" also get on my nerves a little bit, and while I recognize that they are tongue-in-cheek, glorifying rape for comedic reasons doesn't sit too well with me. If you can stomach The Beyond's humor, though, I have no doubt that Frostbitepanzerfuck will be regarded as one of 2013's best black metal debuts.