CoC : Satanic Warmaster - ...Of the Night : Review

Satanic Warmaster - _...Of the Night_
(No Colours, 2004)
by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10)

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from _...Of the Night_. Satanic Warmaster's last album _Opferblut_ didn't impress me much when I bought and reviewed it and hasn't improved with time. Furthermore, the split with Clandestine Blaze seemed to indicate that the Finns might be another band caught in a downward spiral after an awesome debut record. Surprisingly, this new EP brings back some of the ferocity of _Strength and Honour_ combined with some excellent mid-tempo material, and among the trademark Satanic Warmaster riffs a surprisingly obvious Burzum influence here and there. Announced by their label as being "depressive and long", I thought this might be _Black Katharsis_ part two; but the two tracks, each in the ten minute range, are more diverse, less melancholic than the _BK_ material, and even occasionally fast and aggressive in a fashion that is less melodic and more primitive and ripping than _Opferblut_. With a playing time of approximately 20 minutes and two excellent tracks, this is one of the early highlights of 2004 for me when it comes to raw and unpolished black metal.

(article published 14/3/2004)

ALBUMS
27/7/2003	M Noll	7	Satanic Warmaster - Opferblut
16/4/2003	M Noll	8	Satanic Warmaster - Black Katharsis