Review Summary: A Modern Classic of Heavy Music, and the definitive Black N‘ Roll/ Death N‘ Roll Album
Disclaimer: This is my first review here, so I’m sorry of this isn’t as good as others on this site
I don’t even know where to begin with this album to be honest.
It’s definitely one of my all time favorites and due to that I may be biased, however I still firmly believe that if you are into Extreme Metal at all, you should listen to this album. At it’s core it is nothing really that special or progressive or anything like that, but it’s a show of impressive musicianship and a whole bunch of passion.
Musically this album is on the style of Black N‘ Roll, or Death N‘ Roll, but with emphasis on the N‘ Roll, because the Rock N‘ Roll Influences play the center role on this record. Fast paced rhythms, Fun and extremely catchy guitar Melodies, a crunchy Bass and memorable drumming, that will keep you wanting more and more of it. On top of that the singer screams his lungs out, the screams are mostly high pitched and Black Metal-esque, but he also sprinkles in a good measure of low gutterals throughout to also give vocal variety. Save for two songs there is basically no clean singing to be found here, but on those two songs they work very well.
So what makes this album so special to me? Honestly there are multiple reasons. Firstly the variety in the songs, and of course I don’t mean variety in styles, they all sound similar, but every song has its own identity, because every single one offers something different and unique compared to the others. From different song structures, to unique guitar Melodies and rhythm changes, this album keeps the listener on their toes.
For example: The track Blodtørst features a catchy and memorable guitar line, that is isolated, after a while the drums and the bass kick back in and the singer screams over it, but it can still be heard in the background. Offernatt on the other hand has an extended instrumental part at the end, that leads seamlessly into the next song. Sultans Of Satan has a catchy clean chorus, and a fun bouncy instrumental leading into an extended high pitched scream of the vocalist. Ordsmedar Av Rang has an almost melancholic guitar line after its second chorus. And I could go on and on, but the point is, the songs differentiate themselves and all have their own uniqueness to them, while all remaining heavy.
Secondly, the passion put into this is almost palpable, it just oozes out of this album and can be heard in every single moment of its runtime. This point is harder to prove methodically, as it’s more something that you feel while listening to it.
And thirdly, this album hit me at the right time, as I was looking for something more fun, for up to that point, I’ve been listening to more emotional, sad and melancholic music, which I still love, but I wanted to mix things up a little and this record was perfect for me.
Lastly I want to say that this album is probably not for everyone, but in my view it’s the definitive album of its style and is a must listen for people who like fun Extreme Metal. And while I like the experimental route this Band has gone with later efforts like Splid or the latest one Endling, I firmly think that this right here is their ultimate Magnum Opus.
Song recommendations are difficult, because I would basically list every single song but if I had to limit myself it would be these:
Blodtørst
Offernatt
Sultans Of Satan
Ordsmedar Av Rang
