by joseangeles@muchomail.com
Krieg’s earlier stuff was known for being incohesive violent black metal which just ripped your head apart. This CD has that true black metal chaos still but now there’s a more uniform sound (even a bass in the line-up now) and a strong emphasis on harmonies. The noise has more direction; Riffs chisel grim melodies and create bleak atmospheres while thunderous drumming and the harsh raw vocals assault the ears. You could really feel the torture and despair in those mad shrieks. Although the blistering fast music is the main highlight, some tracks have a slower doom metal pace and one track is a quiet ambient song. Some solos slip in too, especially the epic instrumental track (A Process of Dying). The album manages to stay faithful to black metal while indulging in creative ear-pleasing tunes, which is not an easy task. This is solid song writing right here. The co-existence between beauty and merciless havoc reminds me of Ulver’s Nattens Madrigal album (although this is much more raw). There’s a Velvet Underground cover here too that’s pretty funny, it’s like the original song with black metal karaoke.9/10