Customer Reviews

Sheol

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Last year, one of my online acquaintances recommended that I listen to some Naglfar, along with dozens of other various thrash, death, and power metal bands that I had never heard. Their other recommendations were right on, but for some reason, Naglfar was one of the ones that I overlooked. It turns out that doing so was a huge mistake.
The cover art of this album was the first thing that impacted me. While any group can put some piece of wicked-looking artwork on the front of their disc, Sheol has a truly sweet image on its frontside. Impressionistic rather than blatant (unlike Cannibal Corpse's Gore Obsessed, which has its own attractiveness), it conveys the heavy, dark atmosphere that you'll find through the entire disc.
That much said, Naglfar have created a masterpiece of black metal. It isn't really the Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth -esque music that everyone is raving about now. In fact, this album probably doesn't have the right sound to gain an aggressive chance at reaching the main stream like that, but it is infinitely better by leaps and bounds. Jens Ryden has a truly awesome vocal tone, and that same tone carries most of the tracks when the guitar might otherwise start to sound atonal or cacophonous in some cases (as happens with lots of black metal).
Not that there's much to worry about there. The only track that is really weak in that area is "Wrath of the Fallen", in which instance the vocals (and the lyrics themselves) lift a mediocre song up to above-average status. Other songs, like "Black God Aftermath", "Devoured By Naglfar", and "Unleash Hell" just blister with awesomeness on all parts.
I have absolutely no problem with this album; it is the epitome of what extreme black metal should be.

Very good album. The whole thing is very enjoyable, however I think the first track is the high point... it's actually why I bought the album. The other tracks are very heavy & enjoyable, but a little lack luster in comparison to "I Am Vengeance."

Sure, there are only a few reviews for this album, and that would make any Black Metal fan skeptical of the brilliance therein. This is a very solid CD with zero filler, and speed! That is not to say there is no variation in tempo, there is. It just shifts from blinding speed to thrash, then back again, loaded with melodic guitar. The production is first rate and the muscianship is excellent. This makes a fine addition to any Black Metal collection. Highly recommended.

Ok, so the crazy Swedish BMer's Naglfar aren't breaking new ground, nor doing anything particularly exciting or innovating. They play a brand of melodic black metal with tinges of Swedish death metal. It's been done before, so if you're looking for originality, don't come here. But Naglfar are a very tight and solid, and they do their job well. The drums are absolutely outstanding, and the guitars throw in some technical flair, but have a lot of melody with some bludgeoning riffs. (See "Devoured by Naglfar" by the best example.) The vocals... Great! Think of Jon of Dissection, (who clearly had an influence on this band) but much more intense and hateful. The slick production job does a nice job of bringing out the instruments here, especially those small riffs you may not catch other wise, or the intricate accents on the cymbals.

The majority of this record is straight-forward blasting. not in a bad at hyperspeed to where it sounds like a huge sloppy mess, but at a nice headbanging pace with tons of groove and bludgeoning double bass rolls. There are some slower tracks though, which are successfully pulled off and have a hellish and abysmal atmosphere. There is a good sense of balance, and the song structures keep things from stagnating, even with the blastbeating. The music is well-rounded, and the album is solid, though some of the later tracks do seem to drag on. but if you're looking for some killer black/death with tons of melody while maintaining brutality, pick up "Sheol" at all costs. Reccommended to fans of Dissection and Immortal.

BEST TRACKS ARE Unleash Hell and Wrath of the Fallen

Naglfar is so good it belongs at the top with other elite metal bands such as Opeth, In Flames and Dissection. What you get here is speed, blazing fast technical guitars, amazing solos and good vocals.

There's no wussy s**t here. It will satisfy your craving for heavy, fast metal. :-)

Get it now!!

This is without a doubt one of my favorite metal cd's of all time. Naglfar has basically taken Dissection's sound, streamlined it, and made it an easier listen. In my opinion this is their best cd because everything came together so perfectly. The death metal, black metal and thrash influences are combined seamlessly. The vocals sounds great... and no, they don't sound like every other band in this genre. The lead vocalist has a very distinctive style where he sings extremely fast at times, to keep up with the rush of speed provided by the band. Listen to the 1st track, all the way through, and you'll see what I mean. They also mix in the occasional death metal growl to compliment his screeching black metal style. Great solos on this cd as well, plus just the right amount of keyboards to give the music more depth without sounding cheesy. I could go on and on... but the point is, you should own this cd.

This is definetly one of the best of 03', fast, heavy, and energetic black metal, that will leave you humming the tunes of sheol for a long time to come. Good production and great musicianship, technical stuff but without overdoing it. Great album \m/

Yes even a Christian like myself loves this "evil" and "satanic" black metal stuff. I really like Naglfar's meliodic black metal sound. This is possibly one the best black metal bands i've ever heard in my entire life! No kidding either. From "I Am Vengeance" to "The Infernal Ceremony" I was listening with my jaw on the floor. I was shocked. I was really digging this album. If you like black metal in the vien of Mayhem, then this band is for you.

One of Sweden's most interesting acts is back to present us, the loving public, with their third full-length release in Sheol. Just like previous efforts, Sheol is a lesson in fast, brutal, and hypnotizing metal, with very little give to the wall of sound that is created by the use of blast beats, double bass, and tremolo picking. To some this may be a bit of a turn off, myself, it bothers me little but can get a little tiresome after a few listens. I do think that Naglfar could stand to benefit from slowing it down more, and just being very heavy more often, if for no other reason than because they seem so good at it. During the few slower parts on the album a very nice atmosphere is created - accenting the rest of the music quite nicely. This is a part of their sound, and I guess if it aint broke, then they don't fix it, since this formula for metal to which they subscribe has done them well. This is not to say that melodically the album is terribly lacking, indeed, the album has some quite nice melodies, thanks largly to the, for lack of a better term, lead guitar (tremolo) sections.

Jens Ryden's vocals are quite well delivered, and augmented nicely by what I presume is Kristoffer Olivius' backings, which provide a bit of a lower end to the vocal spectrum, in contrast to Jens' maniacal shrieks. As per usual, a very nice effect is created here with this. As is also not at all out of the usual, for lyrics, the listener would be well advised to consult the booklet; but being blackened-death as this is, this should not come as much of a surprise. The lyrics are about as good as one could expect, vocalizing thoughts about hatred, darkness and ripping flesh - big surprise.

As well balanced an album as this is, I do believe that there is one track on Sheol that could be said to be a show stealer, and that is the opening number, I Am Vengeance. The construction of the opening of the song - and the song as a whole - is so well done, and so very catchy that it shadows over the rest of the album ever so slightly. This, however, is just my opinion, and I'm sure that others will think differently from me. On a small side-note, there is a riff in the middle/end of the song which is reminiscent of Emperor/Thorns' Erie Descent. I don't have that particular recording with me at the moment, but from memory it does sound similar. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, 'cause the melody is awesome, but just something I noted.

If you haven't already noticed, I really like this album, and am quite happy with the purchase. The album art is well done, there are quality photos of the band and the lyrics are all contained in the 14 page booklet. If you are a fan of Naglfar, or any other similar bands (i.e. Triumphator, Absu, Dark Funeral, etc.) I would recommend you locate and purchase this album immediatly. It is a very, very nice listen.

naglfar is one of those rare bands where i can always listen to them no matter what type of metal i am in the mood for.they have a good blend of black metal and old school thrash metal with great acoustics and solo action.this one is going to be the one that gets naglfar that much further in the undergruond musin industry.