I love Darkthrone as much as the next metalhead, and am always appreciative of their ongoing musical evolution. That said, I can understand why their latter day output is often perceived as too slow, doomy, or flat out bizarre for those of a “trve” disposition. Sure, Darkthrone always boasted these leanings, even as far back as A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992). However, these one time leanings have since morphed into the backbone of modern day Darkthrone: A Hellhammer meets Black Sabbath meets classic prog rock hybrid not to be restricted by terminology like “black metal” and so forth. So for those who long for the days when Darkthrone boasted a Transilvanian Hunger, boy do we have a treat for you.
Avmakt is a new band/project of familiar faces. The group initially formed as an offshoot of Norwegian traditional mettalists Black Magic, who have lied dormant for far too long. Guitarist/bassist/vocalist Christoffer Bråthen and drummer/bassist/vocalist Kristian Valbo have also lent their talents to bands as diverse as Flight, Obliteration, Aura Noir, and Condor (rest in power), just to name a few. In this latest collaboration, however, the two unite their forces to craft a 6 song, 44 minute outing of flat out Darkthrone worship, cryptically titled Satanic Inversion of…, and it sure hits the spot.
From the opening ice storm that is “Ordinance”, we know exactly what this affair has in store. From the frostbitten riffage and blasting drums to the grim production and tortured vocals, this is textbook Norwegian black metal if I’ve ever heard it. Those of you well versed with this webzine will know that in terms of personal taste, this is a hit or (mostly) miss genre for me. Yet all things considered, Avmakt do a rock solid job making it enjoyable. This is largely thanks to the incorporation of plodding doom passages à la Hellhammer on cuts like “Sharpening Blades of Cynicism”, “Charred”, and “Doubt and the Void”, while still remaining a straightforward black metal outing. In other words, these doomy passages never overshadow the blackened spirit of it all.
Ironically, for an album that draws so heavily from the well of second wave black metal, my choice cut is the most first wave-esque one, “Poison Reveal”. Look, I’m a simple man. If you put some filthy old school black metal with rotten, punkish early Bathory undertones in front of me, I’ll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. This cut is fast, unhinged, and absolutely evil from start to finish, sounding like the missing link between Bathory (1984) and The Return…… (1985). Perhaps a future Avmakt release will stray further down this devilish path. One can dream!
For what it is, Satanic Inversion of… is a shockingly enjoyable slab of Darkthrone worship that doesn’t completely suck like the 99.9% of bands who pop up on Bandcamp when you type “Darkthrone worship”. Yes, the songs are on the longer side, perhaps at times too long for their own good, but at no point did this album get boring or become a chore to listen to. Considering the talent of Avmakt’s members in their other various outfits, I shouldn’t be too surprised to hear them nail it on this album as well. The funeral moon shines bright upon this diabolical duo. Beware!
7 out of 10
Label: Peaceville Records
Genre: Black Metal
For fans of: Darkthrone, Bathory, Mayhem
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