CoC : Satanic Warmaster / Clandestine Blaze

Satanic Warmaster / Clandestine Blaze - _Split_
(Northern Heritage, 2004)
by: Matthias Noll (2 out of 10)

The news of a Satanic Warmaster / Clandestine Blaze split almost had me drooling as if it was still 1985 and Slayer and Exodus were supposed to team up for a joint effort. Unfortunately, the final result is totally unspectacular and even terrible in places, and all the more disappointing considering the awesome work both bands have delivered in the past. The first two out of the four tracks the bands recorded together have a slightly more old school (read pre-second wave) feel to them than what you'd usually expect; the other two sound as if typical but mediocre Clandestine Blaze riffs just got strung together with equally typical but also equally mediocre Satanic Warmaster riffs (or vice versa). The Clandestine Blaze solo track is forgettable, and is further ruined by a sound that completely buries the guitar underneath the drumming and less than great vocals. As if this wasn't enough already, disaster strikes thrice on this record as Satanic Warmaster turn out to be unable to save the day. Their track "To the Legions" mainly consists of a riff that sounds like something an incomplete rock band might be jamming to get their sound and tuning right until the missing members have turned up in the practice room. This material should have never seen the light of day. It is embarrassing for both bands as well as the highly respectable Northern Heritage label.

(article published 14/3/2004)

ALBUMS
1/10/2005	M Noll	8	Clandestine Blaze - Deliverers of Faith
3/14/2004	M Noll	8	Satanic Warmaster - ...Of the Night
7/27/2003	M Noll	7	Satanic Warmaster - Opferblut
4/16/2003	M Noll	8.5	Clandestine Blaze - Fist of the Northern Destroyer
4/16/2003	M Noll	8	Satanic Warmaster - Black Katharsis
11/20/2000	A Wee	7	Clandestine Blaze - Night of the Unholy Flames