Lawless Darkness.
Justin B. Mcclendon | Eufaula, AL | 06/08/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The first thing people are going to do is compare this to their last release: Sworn to the Dark. In this review I will not do that, instead I'll review it just how I see the album.
In case you are new to the band I'll tell you a little about them. They started in the late 1990's after black metal already went down hill. The music itself is well produced black metal (get over it "true" black metal fans because the only reason why the old bands had raw production was because they couldn't have anything better). This is only their fourth full length album, and each album has several years in between their releases. They want to come out with one GREAT album instead of many decent albums, which I respect.
Now on to the album... I personally give this a 90/100. I gave it 5 stars but I'd rather give it that then 4 stars. The music is heavy as usual and Erick's vocals are... well... mesmerizing. Why? Maybe because his vocals are so unique or maybe because that very harsh and crisp sound that he has, but either way he is one of the best vocalists in black metal. The guitars and drums are brutal as ever and playing at insane speeds.
My personal favorite song off this album is "Malfeitor", but I can tell you most people will probably like "Reaping Death" the most. You can see that there's not a single short song on here, but even if you have 'music ADD' (sometimes I have it too) you won't notice how long the songs are. You'll just be sucked right into it. "Waters of Ain" is a song pushing 15 minutes long, but I can assure you its worth the listen for just the guitar solo at the end alone. If they tour I'd really hope they would close out with this one.
There's only one musical one here and that's "Lawless Darkness", but just about every song on here is played fast. Some have slow parts but they all have speed in them. Each song is great and makes a nice flow to listen to the whole album.
Overall: this is very, very great black metal! Now what are you waiting for? Go buy it!
"
One of the best of 2010
B. Sobol | 07/20/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First off, to come on here and give this album a one star and say you thought their previous album was amazing, only to not know what the hell the title of that album is, makes your review beyond worthless. It was "Sworn to the Dark" not "Sworn to the Black." Thats like saying my favorite Megadeth album is "Rust In Pieces." Give me a break. Anyway, I digress...Every track on this album is great if you LIKE black metal. Not your typical blast beat black metal extravaganza; they mix up the tempo to keep things interesting and the overall vibe of the album is summed up in the title. The artwork is also some of the best I have ever seen (I like the cover but I am mostly referring to all the artwork in the booklet.) The highlight of the album is the final song "Waters of Ain." This is a 14+ minute masterpiece that blew my mind when I first heard it. I then spent the next 45 minutes listening to it three more times. This album has great leads (dont get me wrong were not talking Alex Skolnick leads here, but they are catchy as hell) and hooks that make you want to listen to the whole album all at once. I just put it in and hit play; I recommend you do the same."
Monstrous
Joseph Fletcher | North Carolina, USA | 07/19/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Watain is one of those rare "traditional" black metal bands who manage to pull off being completely humorless without being comical. There's the group that puts on the corpse and worships Satan with a grin and wink (Venom, Carpathian Forest), and the group that is so serious it's often funny (Dark Funeral, Immortal, Gorgoroth, etc.). And, everybody else just doesn't do the whole standard black metal thing. Then there's Watain: tons of corpse paint; raw, riff-heavy songs; extremely anti-Christian, overtly satanic, and completely serious lyrics; and totally awesome. If you don't believe me, then buy Lawless Darkness and see for yourself. If you believe me, then the odds are pretty good that you already own this album.
Watain has only gotten better. I hear people compare them to Dissection all the time. Honestly, for all the hype around Dissections "masterpieces," Lawless Darkness crushes Storm Of The Light's Bane. This album is a thoroughly rewarding listen: furious riffing, relentless drumming, and gallons of fake blood - awesome. This is my pick for Black Metal album of the year.
"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1