Now that’s what we call Swedish black metal. In the bloody track drawn by Watain (Lawless Darkness era), early Dissection, Armagedda and so on, the already well-established Valkyrja leave their own deep mark with an album which is both merciless and pregnant with beautiful insanity. Seven tracks melting sonic chaos with chilling guitar lines, swift and atmospheric and yet rough enough to be eminently “black”, The Antagonist’s Fire only resents of being almost too massively built, of bringing a thickness and density of sound (most notably in the drumming) which inevitably affects the variety of the songwriting on such momentous and long tracks.
The morbid intro riff of “Betrayal Incarnate” immediately gives way to the hellish pace that incarnates the spirit of the album, topped by a wonderful job by vocalist A.L., here more ruthless than ever. “The Cremating Fire” displays an ominous riffage that spills pure hatred throughout a bleak and glacial scenario. “Yearn to Burn” shows off some of the finest songwriting tricks ever seen in new millennium’s black metal, with its constantly changing melodic and vocal lines; to say nothing of “Eulogy (Poisoned, Ill and Wounded)”, with its moody slowdowns that preannounce sonic Armageddon in the form of reckless drum and bass hailstorms. The overwhelming “Trading the Path of the Predator” seals the album in an assault that feels like a final solution, the only way a band should sound when the members are giving all that they can, leaving themselves destroyed and worn out.
The Antagonist’s Fire is abyssic hate braided with some of the most vicious melody you will hear around these years. A wonderful spawn of nastiness.
Notes:
The Antagonist’s Fire was recorded at Necromorbus Studio in June-July 2013 and released on November 11, 2013 on World Terror Committee as CD (jewelcase CD) and LP limited to 500 copies (100 x coloured, 400 x black vinyl). A Hardcover Digibook CD (500 copies) was released on January 26, 2014.
The morbid intro riff of “Betrayal Incarnate” immediately gives way to the hellish pace that incarnates the spirit of the album, topped by a wonderful job by vocalist A.L., here more ruthless than ever. “The Cremating Fire” displays an ominous riffage that spills pure hatred throughout a bleak and glacial scenario. “Yearn to Burn” shows off some of the finest songwriting tricks ever seen in new millennium’s black metal, with its constantly changing melodic and vocal lines; to say nothing of “Eulogy (Poisoned, Ill and Wounded)”, with its moody slowdowns that preannounce sonic Armageddon in the form of reckless drum and bass hailstorms. The overwhelming “Trading the Path of the Predator” seals the album in an assault that feels like a final solution, the only way a band should sound when the members are giving all that they can, leaving themselves destroyed and worn out.
The Antagonist’s Fire is abyssic hate braided with some of the most vicious melody you will hear around these years. A wonderful spawn of nastiness.
Notes:
The Antagonist’s Fire was recorded at Necromorbus Studio in June-July 2013 and released on November 11, 2013 on World Terror Committee as CD (jewelcase CD) and LP limited to 500 copies (100 x coloured, 400 x black vinyl). A Hardcover Digibook CD (500 copies) was released on January 26, 2014.
| Tracklist: 1. Betrayal Incarnate 2. The Cremating Fire 3. Madness Redeemer 4. Yearn to Burn 5. Eulogy (Poisoned, Ill and Wounded) 6. Season of Rot 7. Treading the Path of the Predator | 07:55 04:49 05:29 07:21 08:15 06:44 10:00 50:33 |
Personnel:
A.L. – Vocals
S.W. – Guitars, vocals
Thelberg – Guitars
V.P. – Bass
J. Wallgren – Drums
A.L. – Vocals
S.W. – Guitars, vocals
Thelberg – Guitars
V.P. – Bass
J. Wallgren – Drums
Text by Arianna
arianna@unholyblackmetal.com
arianna@unholyblackmetal.com