Finland's not always talked about as the black metal capital of the world, especially with Norway and Sweden generally regarded as the places to go to if you want a crash course in the genre. However, Finnish band Azaghal have slowly been making a name for themselves on the scene over the past decade, releasing a host of full-length and split CD's to positive acclaim, leading up to their signing to Moribund Records for their latest release Omega. If you like brutal, nihilistic, and blasphemous black metal along the lines of Gorgoroth, Dark Funeral, Marduk, and Mayhem, then you've come to the right place. This is truly devastating stuff, each track on Omega brimming with power and conviction, fueled by raging guitar riffs, pulverizing blast beats, and gurgling black metal vocals. While there are occasional synths to add some atmosphere, for the most part things move along at Mach 10 speeds, tracks like "Kuolonkaarme" and "Pirun Verta" as venemous as anything released by the other bands mentioned above. Many of the tremelo picked riffs have that epic, almost symphonic characteristic that Dark Funeral consistently achieve ("Vihani Raivoavina Valtamerina" is a good example) and lead singer Varjoherra every now and then will remind you of Abbath from Immortal with his demented yet commanding shriek. Above all, it's Azaghal's flair for the dramatic on a piece like "Kuolemankulti" that sets them apart from many of the other underground black metal acts on the scene. Alternating between furious fast paced riffs and slower, almost death metal crunch, the addition of melody, technical drum work, and effective vocals make for a very epic and powerful statement.
Brutal, haunting, melodic, and furious, all words that help describe the listening experience you will get from Azaghal's latest Omega. It's certainly one of the best black metal releases that have come out so far here in early 2008.
Track Listing
- Taman Maailman Prinssi
- Pirun Verta
- Quetzalcoati
- Kuolonkaarme
- Vihani Raivoavina Valtamerina
- Maailman Viimeinen Yo
- Kuolemankulti
- Tuhkaan Kirjoitettu
- Kaikkinakevan Silman Alla
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