Satanic Warmaster – Carelian Satanist Madness
I really can’t comment enough on the excellence found in the Finnish black metal underground. The attention to detail and focus on stripped down, almost rock/punk fueled experimentation of bands like Horna, Baptism and Satanic Warmaster allows the music to embody an unshakable memorable quality, while never losing sight of the coldness and grimy crust that is the very basis for good black metal. “Carelian Satanist Madness” sounds like a well-recorded rehearsal due to the garagey sound spectrum, but this also gives Satanic Warmaster a live atmosphere that comes across as being very organic. Unencumbered song structures and riff ideas filled with strong movement and the right amount of melancholy are the right combination to make this one very hook oriented album that is easy to ingest and recall long after it ends. Even though the track “True Blackness” sounds like Satanic Warmaster’s plagiarizing of key riffs found in Mayhem’s classic anthem, “Deathcrush”, “Carelian Satanist Madness” weighs in as the sensible, though much more “rocking” evolution to this bands ever growing, and largely impressive catalog. The songs just possess a very open and loose vibe that sounds like a band jamming. This approach seems like the direction core bands in the Finnish scene are progressing… by remaining blackened to the core, yet more in tune to the characteristics that make a good and listenable song. It’s really too bad that Horna’s amazing “Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne” came out at the same time, for both albums share a similar trait in delivery and composition, but Horna just did it better this time out. Better songs and more of a chilling sincerity. I’m not discrediting SW for their efforts on “Carelian Satanist Madness”, for this is indeed a worthy addition to your collection, but I just feel that the similarities on this and the Horna album are too close to consider either band to be the last bastion of originality. To those of you who dwell in dark places (like your mom’s basement), Satanic Warmaster have once again made their mark in the annuls of true black metal with pure conviction and dedication on this album. Vinyl freaks will eat up “Carelian Satanist Madness” as well, for the impressive gatefold comes with a great poster and an overall excellent presentation. -Marty
NO COLOURS RECORDS
Worm Gear 