Norwegian Black Metal overlords 1349 are back with their brand new album to follow “Massive Cauldron Of Chaos” which feels like an eternity ago, with a near flawless discography, I am predicting this will be a fierce record indeed.
Double kick drums and anthemic riffs take us in with a ripping onslaught of truly marvellous Black Metal that thrashes out pure hatred with the bitter Norwegian sound clearly present. Old school 1349 vibes come in strong when Ravn’s vocals add a ripping ferocity to the vicious instrumental violence, delivering icy extremity with precision and a tight production that makes for a piercing experience with tons of groove and bite. With the addition of some blistering lead guitar work to break up the rhythmic assault in the songs, there is an unrelenting level of aggression which is balanced only by the bands impeccable skills at their instruments which have been developed into a thrusting spear of Satanic majesty that is unquestionably mighty. While “Massive Cauldron Of Chaos” has more of a raw and primitive charm that for me made it slightly more appealing, there is no doubt in my mind that 1349 have made a massive improvement on their songwriting with this album taking the glorious battle-flag into more extreme, more experimental and more memorable directions with a fine opus of thrashy Black Metal that cascades darkness, aggression and atmosphere with no weakening throughout its journey. There is a good reason 1349 are one of the most highly regarded bands in the genre and this album does no disappoint, giving us the unrelenting fury of their early material coupled with the uniquely grooving and chaotic feel of their later releases, potentially making this record the perfect summary of everything they can offer while being a devastatingly brutal and mesmerising piece from start to end. Crushingly heavy, decimating and vitriolic, 1349 are back at the top of their game with a fiercely executed album that is as brazen and punishing as it is beautifully piercing with some melancholic sections occasionally making a nuanced appearance. No compromise, no faltering, this is Norwegian Black Metal spiting in the face of any doubting the strength of the sound in 2019. Totally killer and certainly a release that is worth the excitement it’s inception conjured up, delivering all that we could ask for and more from 1349. -8.5/10
Discover more from NATTSKOG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.