« Drakonsk Magi«
Obscure Abhorrence Productions
2013
Since their inception in 2005, Norway’s SVARTHAUEG have steadily risen up the ranks of Black Metal’s elite with their debut EP, « Ritual« , in 2012 and now an album complete with relentless fury in « Drakonsk Magi« . Featuring the vocal talents of Adramelech, also in DODSFALL, the band firmly has both feet in the blackened abyss of traditional Black Metal, played with passion and malice! Don’t expect a subtle intro. that gracefully leads into the bulk of the album. No, « Astral Path to the Realms of Death » decimates immediately as thundering drums and rapid riffing wreak havoc upon the listener’s sensibilities. Grandiose and unforgiving, the tune epitomizes the overall vitriol of the album and even includes vocal variation akin to ex-Keep of Kalessin’s Thebon, during the « cleaner » passages. « Balam« , « Black Goddess« , « Enter Chaos » and « A Hymn to the Ancient Spirits » all maintain a raw energy that initially hits hard before slowing the pace to a catchy headbanging drive, especially on the latter. While the songs play to the strengths of mid-nineties « True Norwegian Black Metal« , other numbers do play outside the box. « Evoke » begins with a slow militaristic drum momentum as feedback creepily rises in volume to explode in full on tremolo guitar mayhem. Album closer, « Ritual VII » displays a great amount of crunch and menace, enough to satisfy fans looking for something a bit different from the norm. Upon first listen, the album appears to run the gamut of fast paced, conventional Black Metal but it may take repeated spins to really notice the finer nuances of the album. Though, « Drakonsk Magi » may not propel SVARTHAUEG into the upper echelons of commercial viability (aka. SATYRICON’s « Satyricon« ), it IS nice to know that newer bands can keep the flame alive of what made Black Metal so appealing in the first place!
Standout Tracks: Black Goddess, Evoke, A Hymn to the Ancient Spirits
7.5/10
Chris
