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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but still declining...., July 15, 2005
After a blistering Diabolical and a kind of blistering Sheol, Naglfar is back sans their original vocalist Jens Ryden (If my memory serves me that's his name). Stepping up to take over the vocalist position is long time band member, bass player, and all around really unattractive person, Kristoffer Olivius. No offense Kristoffer - the ability to make small children cry when they look at you has to have it's merits.
Almost immediately after throwing in this disk for the first time I came to the realization that the the new vocals sound nearly identical to Galder's vocals on newer Old Man's Child albums! The vocals have the same distorted sound as Galders and I felt the need to make sure I put in the new naglfar disk instead of one of my OMC discs! The music itself is still Naglfar but I have to say it doesn't seem as brutal and creative as before. Then again, they cranked this one out compared to the gap between Diabolical and Sheol.
The album really starts to pick up at track 5 and in my opinion the second half of the disk contains the most interesting listens, not that anything groundbreaking is going on here.
My favorite track of the disk would have to be track 6 "None shall be spared". The album packaging itself features pretty good artwork and band photographs giving it a very high budget feel. A very nice package I'd have to say.
All in all I'm going to recommend this black metal fans, especially if you're a naglfar fan and you collect all their releases. It may not be anything new or groundbreaking but it's still naglfar. With a new vocalist of course. Diabolical is still their best album in my opinion. If you've never experienced Naglfar check that one out and if you like it be sure to pick up the others, including the harder to find and very awesome Vittra.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Naglfar finally gets the mix they deserve!, September 21, 2005
Having been a big fan of this band since Vittra, I was very excited to see they had a new album out. I was then double-excited as the disc kicked on and I heard that Naglfar finally got a discernable drum mix. I loved the music on Shoel, but was thoroughly disappointed as the drums turned into a wash during the blast beats - just like Diabolical and Vittra.
But I Digress, with a decent mix behind them, Naglfar is finally able to shine and it is obvious to see what they have been so capable of all of these years. Pariah starts in classic fashion with SWARM OF PLAGUES which establishes immediately that have not shied away from their hardcore black metal attack. Stand out on this album for me is THE PERPETUAL HORRORS which repeatedly jumps to a medium tempo slide groove that begs anyone to bang their head, or at least shove up the horns.
Writing wise you can expect the direction they were headed on Shoel, they continue to use the dual guitars to their full potential as Pariah is covered in those luscious minor 5th harmonies. So if you are a fan, this is definately worth the $ as I've said, it has the production they have so sorely needed.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
"Your flesh is now ours...", October 19, 2006
I have always appreciated the overdose of adrenaline Naglfar infuses in their music, and "Pariah" is certainly no exception, but after a few spins I must conclude that this CD is not the pinnacle of their collection. "Sheol" retains that title, and is my recommendation for all first-time buyers. However, "Pariah" has a good collection of Black Metal treasures such as "A Swarm of Plagues", "None Shall Be Spared", and "And the World Shall Be Your Grave." The production on this release is their "cleanest" yet with crisp and coldly sharp guitars, high in the mix; the drums, a much more explosive and crushing presence on "Sheol", are nonetheless impressive here. The attack is as relentless as ever, fans should be pleased, but I must add that the overall savagery of the band has been diminished by the absence of lead vocalist Jens Ryden. Bass player Kristoffer Olivius is a suitable replacement on vocals, the snarls are significantly in-your-face, though the occasional distortion is used to create even more demonic resonance. There really are not that many Black Metal groups out there churning out albums with Naglfar's consistency of songcraft and fury. I still consider "Sheol" to be this band's finest hour, but "Pariah" is a solid addition to their already impressive catalog. Thank you.
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