When talking about the music, Watain have always played it darker and sinister. Many bands have created concept albums founded around their own ideas, but few bands will dedicate the entire album to an existing piece of philosophy, enwrap it in a dark and obscure atmosphere and convince you that they hold the truth. Watain released their sixth full-length album early in 2018. It was a much-anticipated album due to the musical skills and the intransigent thinking of the band members. “Trident Wolf Eclipse” it is a masterpiece of a hateful album and, basically this music is intense, chaotic, dissonant, there’s no attempt here to be melodic, accessible and catchy. It’s built around pitch black ideologies and a unique, unmistakable sound. Everything has been constructed to be as heavy as possible. Everything is thrown into you at a frightening velocity and the whole atmosphere is dense and claustrophobic. There’s no clean interludes to give the music room to breathe. The guitars are extremely harsh, tormenting, oppressive, noisy. Every song is cohesive and furious in its composition and sound. Although it’s a significant shift from the predictable style of “The Wild Hunt”, “Trident Wolf Eclipse” marks the return to their earlier, more primitive black metal sound. Because you cannot produce something greater than before while still doing things in the same way. It’s likely the most ferocious album since “Casus Luciferi”.
First track, “Nuclear Alchemy” is opening the album with very energetic guitar reprise. It is a short song but brilliant and illustrative for this full-length. On the second track, the tempos are faster, thrashy and the drumming is an insane outburst.”Teufelsreich”is a tune which shows us an ardent band that has created a fierce and deadly piece with an intelligent design. The song combines elements of drumming with a wicked atmosphere while revealing a lot of compositional ideas and a more than firm substance. “Furor Diabolicus” is my favorite tack of this album. The guitar riffs are opulent, the rhythm is aggressive and it gives the song a frightening aura. “A Throne Below” is a little bit more melodic and with a rather slow pace to the end. ”Ultra(Pandemoniac)” is an example of exceptional drumming skills of Hakan Jonsson. “Towards the Sanctuary” and “The Fire of Power” are the two songs that close the album. “Antikrists Mirakel” is a bonus track, the only one with Swedish lyrics. Whilst no riffs have sunk into my head as memorable, they blend with the songs brightly and leave an eerie dark environment. The voice is typically gloom and rough, but again distinct, and Erik Danielsson has got one of the strongest voice in black metal without missing out any of the fury and hatred which he brings out.
The lyrics are also written by Erik Danielsson, and there are perfectly suited to this music full of misanthropy and with hints of despair.
The only small complain is about the bass guitar which seems to be slightly sacrificed for the stronger guitar sounds, though, no doubt, the production deserves a good attribute.
Watain may not be the most important band working in the genre but anyone who is a fan of classical black metal, or even more modern black metal should definitely give this album a listen to.
Tracklist:
1.Nuclear Alchemy
2. Sacred Damnation
3. Teufelsreich
4. Furor Diabolicus
5. A Throne Below
6. Ultra (Pandemoniac)
7. Towards the Sanctuary
8. The Fire of Power
9. Antikrists Mirakel (bonus track)
