ALBUM REVIEW: Watain – The Agony & Ecstasy Of Watain

Swedish Black Metal titans WATAIN need no introduction, alas they return with their momentous 7th studio album, set for release on April 29th via Nuclear Blast Records.

Distant guitars blaze into life, directly setting the album off with an explosive maelstrom of apocalyptic riffing and malicious drum-assaults. E’s maniacal vocals soon join the cacophony of ecstatic volatility while the instrumental destruction is equally chilling as destructive. An illuminating inversion of all things consecrated, Watain’s instantaneously recognisable Black Metal is bold, stoic and honours the blood-soaked past of the genre while striding ever forward with militant haste. “The Howling” is a fine example of their melodious yet insatiably dark prowess still holding strong. One of the first things I noticed, was that having signed to a major label, their production retains is gruelling clarity but raw exterior, revelling in their pungent blasphemies without their careers progression destroying that special roughness. It has been a point of conjecture that Watain’s later material has lessened in quality (personally I disagree, with “Lawless Darkness” and “Trident Wolf Eclipse” among my favourites by the Uppsala death-squad, but I digress. In the opening moments of this record, the musical refinement and extraordinary atmospherics dance in twilit splendour while the ravenous danger that should be at the heart of all Black Metal remains as carnivorous and flammable as ever.

Balancing titanic bouts of hammering blast beats and thunderous riffing with those Bathory-esque melodic flourishes that feel classical and bewildering, holding a flame to beauty and ugliness across the sonic spectrum. The more traditionally appropriate instruments within Black Metal are interspersed with either acoustic guitars or at least cleaner ones to underline the scorching hellfire with a less saturated nuance that really warms up the sound which is already an inferno at this point. The boom of the drums with quite delicate cymbal work perfectly counters those diverse guitar and bass strokes with percussive excellence. E utilises his raw but also distinguishable and well-annunciated howls to command each stride in the path of Satan to grandiose effect. Now the palette of sounds has been dissected, the overall mood of the record sits somewhere betwixt that of the bands entire body of work. It is atmospheric, but also urgent and savage. Equally there is a brooding sense of gloom and insidiously intoxicating aroma surrounding these new pieces. Utterly masterful craftsmanship is on full display. The simple but evocative “Not Sun Nor Man Nor God” seems to break the album into two acts, adding to the theatrical side of the record while also increasing tension for what lies ahead in wait.

Black Metal is a genre where guitar solos can be very much overlooked. Thankfully Watain have injected so much soul into the leads on this album, with a clear intent to invoke the wondrous abilities of Jon (Dissection) whose silk-like melodies were indeed illimitable. A possible reason for this is the bands well-known regard for traditional and classic Heavy Metal, which is likely a large part of their attention to detail and song crafting. It is also a likely contributor to some songs having a more anthemic nature such as “Leper’s Grace” (which ramps up the furious speed in true old school style) for instance, even throwing in a chunky bass break before pure fist-pumping glory. To go from this to the aforementioned interlude then “Before The Cataclysm” which is some of Watain’s most dramatic music to date is simply wondrous. Twisting and turning in serpentine fashion, the first listen will have so many surprises lurking behind every corner. More impressively, this continues on subsequent plays as deeper, darker mysteries become clearer and unfurl before you.

Toward the tail end of the album Farida (The Devil’s Blood / Molassess) makes an appearance on the haunting opus “We Remain” which for me, is one of the bands most spirited and potent concoctions to date. This range in ability, sound and yet singular focus on the Black Metal art is something the band has upheld with unwavering quality. This album does not wind down or burn out with a mere fizzle. Watain bow out with pride after a volatile and wholly supernatural experience that reaches into the beyond, perhaps the farthest they have yet, but it is hard to rank such a bands discography so I shall not engage in that train of thought. What matters is that this is a truly momentous spectacle of extreme music that ought not be missed on any counts.

Watain dance in the flames of true excellence. Witness this record and become enraptured in the blissful aura of Black Metal with a pure and unmistakably triumphant essence. From seething vitriol to alleged calm before entwining all of their musical arsenal into a singular spearhead of Satanic might, Watain impale all that stand in their majestic pathway to the infinite…