There are very few untapped ideas or directions in metal these days, let alone ones that raise the expectations and excitement levels due to the potential to deliver something really interesting, divergent and new. “Mongolian Folk Metal” was the first tag to spirit the flame of intrigue for quite some time, as the mind raced with the plethora of opportunities Tengger Cavalry could weave into this marriage. While they’ve yet to live up to the possibilities, now on their fourth international release Blood Sacrifice Shaman (Metal Hell), they have continued the refinement from the primitive sounds that were displayed on their first release, which also shared the same title.
By far the most polished and professionally compiled release from the sextet to date, I still can’t help but feel Tengger Cavalry are missing a trick. Maybe it’s a misconception brought about by culture and exposure, but folk music here has historically linked best with black metal, or at the very least more involved and expansive metal; the metal of Tengger Cavalry is, in the main, the type of chug that thrash bands moved to as the 80’s bled into the 90’s and everyone stopped ravaging. As such, they’ve always felt like they were lacking depth, or that they’ve failed to fully explore the ethnic and nationalistic music that underpins and, in terms of quality, far out-performs the metal. There are some stimulating and pleasing movements in the sounds and shapes of the additional instrumentation that is lacking in the by-numbers rhythmic pedalling that makes up the metal side of the sound.
Being predominantly instrumental isn’t an issue, and at its best Blood Sacrifice Shaman swoops in the valleys that Apocalyptica would inhabit had they added permanent rhythm guitar to their soundscapes, at its worst it sounds like a discard from the Assassin’s Creed soundtrack with a local modern thrash band chugging away underneath. Tengger Cavalry still sound like two separate sections of music being played at the same time, and a more integrated approach would vastly benefit the band, as would a concentration on exploring, developing and prioritising the Nomadic North Asian elements, otherwise they will always remain less than they promise to be.
6.0/10
STEVE TOVEY