Review Summary: Black metal in its finest form.
Real black metal is meant to be filthy, right? It should sound as if it's coming from the depths of Hell itself. Riffs that give off static, drums that sound like a tin can and vocals that sound like a demon gurgling in pain. To me, that is exactly what the genre represents. Sure, some bands have cleaner production and atmospheres that are clear and concise, but Sargeist has never followed that type of mold.
The Rebirth of a Cursed Existence is a compilation album that perfectly exemplifies the essence of black metal.
Finnish black metal in general has always best represented what the genre has to offer outside of the second wave of Norwegian black metal, in my opinion. Bands like (of course) Sargeist, Beherit, Behexen, Horna and others have always taken the dirtiest aspects of the genre and made them sound beautiful. Sargeist, in particular, is my personal favorite of the bunch and this album perfectly shows why that is. The production is raw and sounds like the band is playing in the middle of a blackened forest covered in snow. Riffs hum in and out of the windy static yet still remain somewhat melodic. The drumming is hellish and sounds as if they were recorded in a paper bag and I mean that in the best way possible. But for me, vocalist and band leader, Shatraug, has always been the main highlight. His snarls are second to none and they completely embrace hate, nihilism and suffering all at the same time.
The Rebirth of a Cursed Existence is about an hour and thirteen minutes long and not a single second feels wasted. This is pure black metal in its finest form. No other band in this genre's history can make the listener feel so much hate quite like Sargeist can. Their entire catalogue, even their newer stuff that is a bit cleaner, puts most black metal bands to shame even on their best day. If you want to hear black metal, which is the essence of everything this genre has had to offer since its inception, you'd be dumb to pass on Sargeist and especially this brilliant compilation album.
