Misotheist’s self-titled debut, released in 2018, made it on my best-album-of-the-year list, and after two years I’m still happy that I included it – which isn’t true for every LP on that list. I still listen to the album every now and then, especially to my favourite track, Beast and Soil. The medieval-sounding acoustic guitar tunes in the beginning and the blood-freezing tremolo picking following it, in addition to drumming, impressive vocals and tempo, deliver everything you want from black metal. If you have never heard it, make sure you give it a listen.

When their debut came out, nothing much was known about the band except for the fact that they were from Trondheim, Norway. This lack of information is not coincidental but part of the band’s general attitude. According to their bandcamp page they “prefer to lurk in the shadows” and don’t want to see every detail about themselves documented on various social media platforms. The music is supposed to speak for itself – and it did. In two years Misotheist have definitely made a name for themselves.

For The Glory Of Your Redeemer, the band’s sophomore release, continues right where their debut left off. Their sound is recognizable by now, especially the vocals. With a three-track structure and a run-time of slightly over thirty minutes the new album is once again shorter than most LPs. I have no problem with that at all. Better thirty minutes of something good than fifty minutes of something bad.

Rope and Hammer opens the album with static noise and a lone guitar, setting an atmosphere of unease and foreboding. This is followed by a joined, brutal assault of drums and vocals. The sinister character of the deep, throaty vocals and the malevolence of the overall sound confirm that the feeling of unease that arose in the beginning was intended. The track continues cold and pitiless, an acoustic passage in the middle adds a bit of tragedy.

Rope and Hammer is followed by the pre-released Benefactor of Wounds, the album’s most accessible track. It has more melody than the first track, is shorter and structurally not as complex as the closing number Acts of the Flesh – which it probably why it was chosen as an album teaser. A recurring, tremolo-picked guitar riff guiding you through the song is its most effective and most memorable feature, at least if you ask me. The mixture between melody and ferocity is just right here and I’m pretty sure that this will be a favourite with fans.

For The Glory Of Your Redeemer progresses from breath-taking brutality to refinement and that development culminates in Acts of the Flesh. Starting with eery scratching and ambient sounds, there is a lot going here, and it will take repeated listens to fathom the multi-layered soundscape. The slower tempo, the soaring guitars, the dreamier and more melancholic mood in the finals parts of the track took me somewhat by surprise, but I do like it, especially as part of the album’s progression.

Misotheist have confirmed the excellent first impression established with their self-titled debut. For The Glory of Your Redeemer will cement their status as a black metal band to be reckoned with.

(8.5/10 Slavica)

https://terraturpossessions.bandcamp.com/album/misotheist-misotheist