Watain-Lawless DarknessGrade: 7.5 out of 10
Watain is a weird thing for me. I first heard about them years ago when Casus Luceri came out and like most Swedish Black Metal acts.....I was pretty uninterested. Its not that Sweden doesn't have some great BM bands, they do. Dark Funeral, Lord Belial, Marduk, Funeral Mist, etc. I suppose the timing just wasn't right or something. When it came out I was under the impression that BM had been a dying art with the slew of bands just rehashing the classic Norwegian second wave of black metal.
Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. A few months ago I was at my frequent bar, when the bartender suggested to me "you should really hear Sworn to the Dark", To which I immediately downloaded after I came home. I couldn't more thrilled I downloaded it! It reminded me of Marduk meets Dissection.
I was quite excited to hear their latest effort. While it isn't as good as Sworn to the Dark, it still has its moments. Reaping Death and Wolves Curse are among my favorites. This album really has a Dissection sound and and atmospheric feel to it, which comes as no surprise to find out that one of the members was in Dissection briefly. They seem to really capitalize on the simplicity of Black Metal's essence but fuse it with an almost Iron Maiden melodic feel as well. Its allot of fun to listen old Mayhem or Burzum and remember when BM still had its magical infancy. Not that I was necessarily a part of it, although I wish it was. None the less listening to BM in higschool with friends and getting into trouble was something I'll never forget. And listening to Watain brings me back to that time regardless of how new to the scene they are.
Judging by interviews from the band and their live show antics, these guys take this shit seriously. Although the BM persona can be comical, a little over baring, and even annoying at times.....these guys don't mess around. And I like it, and believe them. For F's sake, the lead singer taken a shower in almost 4 years, thats dedication!
All in all, albums like this one and the abundance of new creative and refreshing Black Metal bands from all over is inspiring and makes me tingle inside. As a result I have faith in the genre again and really enjoy putting an album like this one on to invoke mans deepest desire for evil!
-Emperor Vampirion
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