Charlottesville, Virginia is college town known for Dave Matthews band and its Jazz circles, but in the heart of Virginia resides Salvaticus, one of few black metal bands dedicated to capturing the natural sound of the forests and mountains of Piedmont and Appalachia. I’m meeting with founding members Brian Weaver (guitar) and Kevin Ardrey (drums) to discuss the music, the scene, and the band’s debut album Hidden Manna.
Every now and then, a band comes along and raises the bar a little bit higher. With the release of Hidden Manna, Salvaticus may have set a new standard for independently produced black metal. While the name is Latin for “savage,” the music is anything but. Fundamentally, this is atmospheric black metal, but more aggressive than what’s typical of the style. It is melodic in essence, but heavy when it wants to be. Crisp while maintaining a desirable level of rawness. In short, what we have here is an album that spans a broad range, carefully arranged such that nothing is over saturated.
Summoning Spirits 