Year of release: 2018
Label: Saturnal Records
Rating: 4,7 / 10
Norwegian Black Metal! I don't know who will feel awe today hearing this phrase because the scene that once revived the essence of the all-consuming Evil in art has long since become a self-parody. Of the founding fathers, only Varg Vikernes (who started to hate Black Metal more than twenty years ago) deserves total respect, nd the followers all as one are engaged either in cheap clowning or in mediocre copying. Oddly enough, modern Norwegian bands can not recreate / develop the classical sound of their compatriots. In Belarus, for example, it works. And in Norway, I can not now recall any new band that sounded convincing in its national style. I can, for example, name the Greeks SARVARI whose music would easily fit into the format of the old Norwegian Black Metal wave. Swedes ARMAGEDDA and Finns SARGEIST skillfully intercepted the baton from DARKTHRONE. I can easily remember at least five bands that diligently following the road of BURZUM, and they are not even from Scandinavia. Alas, the Norwegians have creative impotence in the Black Metal environment. Here we have a new album of DJEVELKULT - the leader of the band is an experienced member of DEN SAAKALDTE who knows how to play, and seems to understand what black metal is. And at first it even sounds good - from the first chords music is rushing into something malicious and murderous a la TSJUDER, if not BLACK WITCHERY. ut then the music quickly rolls into the pool of mediocre cloning of all sorts of classic riffs and absolutely unnecessary melodic bullshit. Anger disappears somewhere, a boring chewing gum starts, which does not bother you at all, despite regular changes in tempo and mood. Press release of the album confirms that DJEVELKULT got nothing to say: "traditional black metal savagery that nevertheless retains a timeless freshness" - yeah, for sure, fresh as green milk. Next is a long description of who and with such passion played all this stuff. Not even a word about the ideological component, because the term "banal" is too soft for it. In general, this is another Norwegian circus with guitars and painted faces, performing pseudo-traditional music, nothing more. I often repeat that Black Metal can not be "true" and "untrue", but here, perhaps, is the second case. It seems that everything is right, but it is so unconvincing that you can't call it Dark Art even if you really want to. Cheap and shallow product, but I do not advise you to spend time and money on it.
English (UK) 
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