VALKYNAZ
Blackened Death Records
Hailing from Nevada in the United States, Valkynaz provide black metal in the spirit of early Gorgoroth, Pest (Sweden) and Anaal Nathrakh. This is a very solid release. Production wise, it’s a little warmer than expected. This release has enough distortion and fuzz within the mix to adhere to raw black metal stylings though instruments are all clear. I particularly enjoy the attention paid to the vocals with reverb, making them sound as if they were rasped from a haunted chamber. Atmosphere? This album has tons of it. Hypnotic and beautiful in its ugliness. “Saturnine” as the ominous intro and “Reckless Delirium” are standout tracks whilst “And Death Smiles Upon Me” is a track how Xasthur SHOULD sound. Raw black metal is a misnomer for this band, they do have DSBM leanings and this is a good thing. Yes, the drums are programmed, but that is of little importance as the quality of this release is superior for the style. “Acceleration” builds a droning crescendo with lyrical themes of nihilism pervading. “Wir Malten Den Sternen” varies from ambient to dark atmospheric with black metal undertones. Very astute progressions and nuances in song writing on display and the listener will be easily entranced. I cannot recommend this band highly enough for quality of work, musicianship and composition. Released via Hammerkreig Productions and Blackened Death Records. -Simon Brown
Track list:
1. Saturnine
2. Detachment
3. Reckless Delirium
4. And Death Smiles Upon Me
5. Silence Fugue
6. Acceleration
7. Abgrenzung
8. Wir Malten Den Sternen
9. For Thunder Possesses Me!
10. Zerbrecken Sie Den Himmel
11. Immersed in Revolutionary Thought
12. Eklipse
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