Published: March 29, 2017

Back in the 1990’s, when underground Metal was becoming a little bit more on the map we had to go to a record store, sometimes in a dark basement of a bad neighborhood to get our fix of DarkThrone, Mayhem, and Ildjarn. Now that Black Metal is as easy to get as a burger and fries at any corner many bands and one man bands have been pushing the limits of genre crossing with Folk, Shoegaze, etc.

French act Netra blends Black Metal, Trip-Hop, and Darkwave to make its self labeled genre of ‘’Urban Black Metal’’. While the first listen might be a schocker to pvrists and kvltists but with multiple listens I tend to see Netra as a modern day Dodheimsgard, Arcturus, and Ulver. An oddity into the Metal scene that may not create a consensus but that could with the right producer become a very interesting underground phenomenon.

In fact, Ingrats must be taken as a diamond to be polished and elevated from its sometimes naive and pretentious boldness. It is not a perfect album but it retains elements of comprehension of the purity of Black Metal with a desire to bring it into the city streets and make it an urban themed nightmare. Trying to get as far as possible to the Burzum inspired Cascadian Black Metal and the often forest or nature related themes of the traditional Black Metal.

This third album in Netra’s discography might be their stepping stone. So far in 2017, Ingrats might be the most promising work for the future of a band featured here.