‘Cold Darkness’ and ‘Fall Division-Luciferianism’ from the Swedish underground here. Sounds sinister and it is. The unwieldly to pronounce Hladomrak have been in existence since 2011 and were started as a one-man outfit by Evgenerator who has kept them going (whilst never running out of batteries) over three albums. ‘Arctic Hysteria’ and what a great title that is, was the last of these in 2017. The line-up has expanded over time and shapeshifted somewhat to the present incarnation which includes Nils Fjellström ex Dark Funeral and present Nordjevel (among many others) on drums. Along with Talon now on vocals this has perhaps given the band the push to take them to the next level

Make no mistake both these members make their presence felt the second play is pressed. There’s no time for subtle intros as ‘Fozforos Insignia’ starts with an embittered yell and a massive concussion of rolling, thundering drums. The drumming never lets off over the whole album and it is obvious the group have now got the blast-beast they need. Also, as far as this track is concerned a lot of effort seems to have been put into the video clip (below) and it is a visual feast to match the music, illustrating the devilish qualities of the band.

The other thing that’s impossible to ignore here apart from the overall lashing the music delivers are the thorny guitar work and tumbling groove about the material over the 8 songs. They really do get under the skin and have that excellent sense of melodicism that seems to come so effortlessly out of bands from Stockholm. This is one of those albums that although displaying a serious walk and talk about the left-hand path, all that can be taken with a pinch of salt. So too can the outright viciousness and spiteful grooves of it all as on the whole this is (shock horror) a really enjoyable album. I don’t mean that in the way of black metal wearing clown shoes and aiming for commercialism as that is definitely not the case, but it is the sort of album that someone who generally doesn’t listen to the genre would not be able to help getting caught up with its whirlwind strumming and gung-ho bravado. There are so many hooks through the course of it, you simply cannot help but get reeled in is what I’m basically attempting to say.

Still amidst the groove there is a sinister vibe through songs such as ‘Wistarbor’ which twist and turns with a forked-tongue insidious vocal delivery and have spikes and bounce aplenty from guitar and drum department. I’m reminded a bit at times of the long missed Old Man’s Child and this is certainly more in the vein of Mayhem than it is Marduk. Then again at their most savage on the unrelenting ‘Saith’ they certainly give you a hellish shelling and everything is impeccably and precisely played. The following number ‘Asterial Well’ with creepy stalking riffs is the slower counterpoint and has some of the most compulsive riff-work heard in many a moon

Simply put, after perhaps a bit of an overdose on complex extremity lately, this one came as breath of fresh air and ‘Archaic Sacrifice’ is an album that I have found a pleasure coming back to again and again rather than a challenge. For anyone looking for an explosive lesson in just why black metal can be so potent and intoxicating, this is just the sermon you are looking for.

(8/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/Hladomrak

https://non-serviam-records.bandcamp.com/album/archaic-sacrifice