CoC : Satanic Warmaster - Opferblut : Review

Satanic Warmaster - _Opferblut_
(No Colours Records, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll (7 out of 10)

Finally Satanic Warmaster have released what for me was one of the most anticipated black metal releases of 2003. Still stunned by the ferocity of their debut _Strength and Honour_, the much slower _Black Katharsis_ EP released earlier this year left me wondering which stylistic path these Finns might pursue. Well, the picture has become somewhat clearer now: _Opferblut_ brings back the speed of _Strength and Honour_, but with the melodic approach used on _Black Katharsis_. What I personally miss, however, is the totally over-the-top aggression and blunt hammer-to-the-head approach of their debut. The simplistic mid-tempo sections, with their slashing riffs (which were one of the highlights of the debut), do not make much of an appearance. The same can be said about many of the faster, more aggressive parts with their obvious _De Mysteriis dom Sathanas_ influence. All of this has given way to what in my opinion is a somewhat exaggerated focus on minor key melodies, and the overall impact of _Opferblut_ is a lot less devastating and certainly below my expectations. While Satanic Warmaster have developed a clearly distinguishable identity and are still raw and underground to the bone, _Opferblut_ sounds too carefully calculated and consciously structured and has a disturbing tendency to lose much of its initial appeal after five or six listening sessions.

(article published 27/7/2003)

ALBUMS
3/14/2004	M Noll	8	Satanic Warmaster - ...Of the Night
4/16/2003	M Noll	8	Satanic Warmaster - Black Katharsis