“Rawness is balanced with atmosphere”, explains Burning Darkness’s frontman. The story goes that this second album from the Swedes mixes in horror, Norse folklore and a more melodic progressive element to the known formula of black and blacker metal. The title, translating as “The Power of Death” suggests that they haven’t compromised much, if at all.
The atmosphere is one of menace and foreboding. The rawness lies in the hoary old style black metal. It’s violent and harsh but “Muspelhems Vrede” has an imperious melody. From this battleground we go to “Sulphurous Wrath”, another dirty black metal affair. There’s nothing progressive about this. It digs up dirt and conjures up foul atmospheres for our enjoyment. Now “Chiropteran Demon” is the single of the album. I know that releasing singles is a thing these days where once it was for pop music. Do children save up their pocket money like I did once upon a time to buy the latest piece of black metal by Burning Darkness? Well if they do, they won’t be disappointed. Fast, paced, melodic and technical, “Chiropteran Demon” has a nice flow while recalling Limbionic Art and Gehenna at their ugliest. “She Who Dwells Beyond the Branches” comes from the grimmer end of the scale. For me it got lost a little in its own grey mist. The intensity returns with the hammering “Neonaticide” with its rapid fire militaristic tones reminiscent of Impaled Nazarene. The track takes off in different directions while maintaining the raw energy. “Neonaticide” was a real highlight. Our Nordic men go into battle cry mode with the rousing and thunderous “Draugr”. It all gets a bit silly by the end though with the repetitious chorus. “In the Shadow of Webbed Wings” comes from the death archives, and darkly atmospheric and dramatic it is too. Its menace leads nicely into the final track “Dödens Makt Är Stor” (The Power of Death is Great), a fearsome black atmospheric monster.
There was much that I liked about this album. Black metal at the core, it has those moments of rawness while building up to a crescendo of dark mists and menace. I found that “Dödens Makt” was well constructed and an honest album without frills.
(7.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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