Self Released - 2025
7/10
Because if someone's gonna review this, it should be me, right? 구룡 (pronounced Kuryong) is a black metal act claiming to be from North Korea, from the special administrative district known as Rason. 백두의 소환 (Invocation Of Baektu) is their debut EP, dropping just a few days ago, centering around themes of the enigmatic nation and the DPRK's state ideology known as Juche (a unique Korean interpretation of Marxism-Leninism) played in a rough and raw black metal style. "Baektu" is actually a mountain held sacred by Koreans in the north that borders Chinese Manchuria along the Yalu, adding some authenticity to the themes. Obviously, bands have swung gimmicks for traction in the past, so perhaps it's tough to know how legit this is, but until I'm proven otherwise, I'll be assuming that this is the actual first metal release to come from the nation.
All of this aside, 백두의 소환 is a neat little EP of only nine minutes consisting of fairly typical black metal in the rougher sense, reflecting the second-wave Norwegian sound heavily. Despite the grainy textures, things sound rather focused, breathing clarity in terms of compelling riffs and competent structures. Three songs make up our short experience. The first track may actually be the harshest one, being a short blast of degraded rhythms casting an explosive soundscape before slowing the pace. Track two brings on some serious Emperor vibes, building itself off a foundation that nearly mirrors "I Am The Black Wizards," with some of the clearest vocals that maybe I'd be able to understand if I knew Korean? The way this one works in the slower centers transitioning into the tremolos is pretty impressive, and the clean/whisper section doesn't feel out of place at all. The third and final track focuses its energy mostly on explosive drum blasts and even hotter speeds, reflecting the first track a bit to tie things off in the form of an instrumental.
Below the surface, 구룡 crafts a pretty compelling black metal sound that I wouldn't really call anything special, being rather typical of this stage for its genre, but pleasing enough. There are certainly worse ways to spend nine minutes. As far as its legitimacy, it's certainly possible, considering it's easier for Koreans up north to access western media than absurd headlines would have you believe, especially knowing the region it claims to come from. Time will obviously tell, the way it did for Ghost Bath, but until then, I'm believing this to be a state-sanctioned outfit from the Tumen River's Korean port city.
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