Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Here it is!!! Great "old-timey" black metal!, May 25, 2007
Anybody tell you that Black Metal was dead recently? Just hand them a copy of this CD.
This one has just about everything I look for when I want to hear REAL black metal. Beautiful dark lush tremolo, tastful and majestic melodic themes soar over deliciously buzzy bass, and that lovely old school mix, done just right. You can hear all the instruments clearly, and all the songs are structured and mixed perfectly.
I can't find a single thing NOT to like. When I listen to this album, I feel the same way I remember feeling while listening to "Storm of the Light's Bane" for the first time. Though some fans might say that this album is a bit too Dissection-like, I would have to slightly dis-agree. First of all, the songs on this album all sound remarkably ORIGINAL to me. If there are comparisons to that of the afore mentioned "Storm..." or "The Somberlain", then it is more to Watain's credit that they were able to reproduce the quality of musicianship and professionalism of production contained within those early Dissection discs. Anyway, it should not be too much of a surprise to anyone, since Watain members E. Danielsson (vocals), and Set Teitan (Guitar and Bass) were both members of aformentioned!
Watain also shows how they can really mix it up. The first song, "Legions of the Black Light" greets you with crushing depressive chords that soon give way to thunderous blast beats that would surely please puppy piles of pitninjas. The intensity ebbs and surges nicely within the song finishing with a georgously rendered tremolo lead.
Many songs on this album will remind you in no uncertain terms where black metal has its origins. Both the first, as well as the second track "Satan's Hunger", is undoubtably Mayhem-homage. Fourth track "Storm of the Antichrist" draws rhythms from mosh-pit thrash and is seriously unrelenting. "The Light that Burns The Sun" is an anthem unto itself, pure darkness, numerous themes intertwining within the song. The arangements are masterfully done, changing tempo in smooth breaks that keep the listener engaged without seeming intrusive.
I also really enjoy how Watain manages to morph dreamy little passages of melody into a cacophanous barrage (Underneith the Cenotaph), or a doomy dirge that would rival anything by Celtic Frost (Stellarvore). Throughout this entire album, I am continually pleased by the luscious, syrupy thick guitar sounds, and the undeniable talent of the musicians. Kudos also to the expressive and well elocuted vocal performance of E. Danielsson.
Black metal has returned, and this album proves it. Still only shy of halfway into the year, I think it very likely that this album will end up making my best of 2007 list.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than I anticipated!, April 28, 2007
Sworn to the Dark is their best by far. So far the best black metal I've heard this year. We know that Watain are inspired by old Dissection, and this album is no exception. Usurpers of the throne? Of course, and this totally makes up for Dissection (RIP) last piece of work.
Yes, it's beautifully evil, very well played and it'll get a hell of a lot of
play in your MP3/Car, whatever.
Buy or die!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Black Metal, December 16, 2007
I have heard a lot of absurd criticism of this band, the foremost of which being that they "sound just like dissection". I don't know if the people who state this are partially def, or just sheep who repeat the nonsense of others who make patently stupid and incorrect observations...First of all, this album is not nearly melodic enough to even be called "dissection worship" let alone being labeled a blatant "rip-off of dissection". If you want a band that sounds like Dissection, see the Swedish band "Dawn" who are more or less a sped-up version of Dissection. No, Watain is too much based in pounding riffs offset by catchy tremolos and ruminating leads to be called Dissection ripoffs", also, parts of the album have an almost doomy feel to them. Dissection is a totally melodic (as in early At the Gates) band which is occasionally offset by thrashy and neoclassical elements.
Nor do I feel that this is just a run-of-the-mill black metal release. Another critic on Amazon, stated that this sounds like "motorhead" (!). This is another criticism that seems to me to be totally baseless. Motorhead plays a hybrid of metal, punk and traditional dirty biker rock n roll. Watain plays a mix of classic and contemporary black metal with a few twists. Of course it goes without saying that if you hate black metal there is a possibility that you will hate this album, which also to me seems like it would be pointless to critique a genre that you obviously loath but hey, that's just my opinion. I am not going to review a jazz album for example, because I hate jazz and my comments would therefor be pointless to all parties concerned.
Is this album simplistic? I wouldn't say that it's overly simplistic. It isn't Spawn of Possession or something, but it isn't new-Darkthrone either. It has a definite raw tone, yet it isn't shrill, that's important. It also is filled with many moments which encourage headbanging.
Recommended for fans of: I, Secrets of the Moon, Drudkh, Deathspell Omega,Early Darkthrone, Enthroned, etc etc etc.
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