Prepare to be initiated. The fledgling label of mystical obscurities, Brave Mysteries, unleashed its first batch with a release put out by the label’s founders. Yes, Kinit Her, the effort of Nathaniel Ritter, Troy Schafer, and Vincent Wachowiak, is also affiliated with this up-and-coming tape label. This is only appropriate since Brave Mysteries is as arcane as the band is esoteric. Being my first exposure to experimental music on the tape format, Brave Mysteries, and especially Kinit Her’s particular gateway into the shadows have left me quite satisfied that I tried something new. The quality of this release, in terms of the silver print on black with cool artwork on professionally duplicated and imprinted on high-bias chrome tapes, delivered shrinkwrapped, made this an instant eye-catcher. I understand that it is also available in a limited edition of 20 tapes with silver ink on blue. Now, if only it sounds as good…

Totally! It sounds even better than the packaging promised. Side A takes off with a side-long track entitled, “Gratitudes.” It comes on the scene with some doomy guitar conjurings, which give way to dark incantations. It’s almost like a Gregorian chant for the black mass. Grab your black robe and head out to the woods with a goat ripe for sacrifice. This kind of trails for a long while into effects but most prominently a medieval sounding woodland swell, with strings that ebb and flow like the spirits that surely dance around this eerie ritual. Everything fizzles with a long series of creepy choked vocals accompanied by the twilight serenade. Definitely a 14-minute rite of passage for the listener that he or she won’t want to miss. Side B is a collection of three folk-inspired tracks that sound like they come from some ancient pagan countryside minstrel. “Walled” is literally a wall to the hearer of deep and weighty chant drone, which I can’t tell if it’s inhuman or an actual stockpot of male vocal duties. The track gets a layer or so of effects added and then a neofolk quality takes shape, which at least rings reminiscent of early Death In June. This is not to be overstated, but there’s definitely that heathen folk quality with jumpy middle earth guitar strums. The second track on this side, “The Prophet’s Pen Ablaze” is a short track that is aflame with possessed chant again that births what could be a fiddle-hopping festival hymn noir. And lastly, the third track on this mysterious trek through the moonlit wood is “Walless.” This has crazy skittering noise that jostles with excitement like a dandelion caught up in a frosty, invisible breeze, with more old-world folkery, ending with those creepy choked vocals that Side A’s “Gratitudes” ended with. All was appropriately performed and produced at the aptly named Harvest Abbey.

All in all, a truly spellbinding release that is sure to put Kinit Her on the map. Destined to be an occult classic. The neat thing about this release is that it’s caught in the tension between blood-drinking rite where pale lips sip hungrily from an overflowing bejeweled goblet fresh with the warm drink offering to the gods and a lighter but sober affair of Beowulf drinking hall amusements. Unquestionably a must-hear release. Kinit Her is doing something that I’ve never heard before, and they’re doing it damn well! Keep a look out for a split vinyl release with Burial Hex to come very soon from Alt Vinyl. It promises to be an exquisite accompaniment to the approaching autumn season. 10/10 -- Dave Miller (8 September, 2010)