Naglfar "Diabolical" CD
[Regain]
Okay, all I have to say is that this record is Naglfar's finest hour, and if you've yet to experience this masterpiece of melodic Swedish black metal mastery, you have no fucking clue what you're missing. This reissue has apparently been remastered, though I'm not sure I can tell a difference other than the fact that it does seem ever so slightly thicker in the lower-end range. The actually recording is pretty unique on this thing because it's pretty damn harsh, but it's totally clear and has a lot of texture to it. It's not all that polished, but it isn't raw or anything like that. The drums are nice and crisp, leaning towards the rigid side but staying in check, the bass peeks through, the sneering vocal screams are really throaty and over the top, and the guitar tone is totally unique. I like it. I remember the first time I heard this record I was taken aback a little, but now I don't think twice about the interesting tonalities. As far as the songwriting, this isn't entirely original per se, there's a lot of absolutely raging speed played with utmost precision, but the recording does give it its own feel, and the slower riffs get into some more discordant chords and really unique melodies that give the songs a great deal of identity compared to the band's peers. They also flirt with some sparse atmospheric elements (the perfect example being the subtle keyboards, choral singing, and piano break during "Into the Cold Voids of Eternity"). Other standouts include the driving midpaced crunch of "The Brimstone Gate" and the unbelievably classic "Blades", which in my opinion is one of the most ferocious and creative black metal songs of all time... no kidding. I always liked the layout on this record, and everything remains intact with the reissue. Sure, the band photos could stand to vanish, and the cover art concept isn't the greatest, but I totally love the band logo, color scheme, and textures used, and the text is all nice and clean as well. It just has a slick, consistent appearance. I was never that big on the lyrics just because of the whole "poetic" sort of angle taken, but they do put way more effort into it than most bands, and I can't deny the bitterness of lines like, "I hate the soil I walk, despise the earth that gave me birth..." All I can say is that any fan of black metal that's not a loser purist who only likes records with black and white artwork and boombox production should be required to own this record. Five or six years after the fact I still love every minute of this. Essential. (9/10)
Running time - 41:00 (approximately), Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Embracing the Apocalypse, 12th Rising, The Brimstone Gate, Blades]
Regain Records - http://www.regainrecords.com

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