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The Final War Approaching (2001)
The Final War Approaching is the first full-length album from Sweden's Armagedda. It was released in 2001 through Breath of Night Records. I believe this band came recommended by a friend while I was in Sweden, though the exact details elude me. However, what I do remember is that the first song that I heard from Armagedda seemed promising enough for me to seek the album out and give them a shot. Hearing that they shared some acquaintances, at the very least, with Watain also added some anticipation. In the end, I found it to be forgettable and a little disappointing.
To just come out and state the obvious, this band is one of the countless Darkthrone clones that sprang up around the end of the last century. With this in mind, I still hoped for better results, but the album is just too inconsistent. The production is raw and attempts to capture the feeling from Transilvanian Hunger, but does not come close. It possesses a rather amateurish quality that betrays the lack of knowledge of the individuals involved. Of course, one can tell that they have good taste; at least they are emulating a good band. However, they are not really adding anything unique into the mix. The first track, "Deathminded", is pretty decent and features a handful of nice riffs, but just comes off as trying too hard to recreate the past. It also drags a bit. Even the shorter songs feel as though they are much longer, as the arrangements just are not all that engaging. "Skogens mörka djup" is one the exceptions, as its length and approach suits the slow and mournful pace. Overall, this material needed a lot more work and the majority of it comes off as highly derivative with nothing worthwhile added.
The production is awful in that the drumming is too loud and the piss-poor vocals are also too high in the mix. A few of the songs even sound as if they were not recorded during the same session (possibly not at the same studio). This is unacceptable and destroys what little continuity the album had going for it. As for the vocals, Graav is simply awful at this. He sounds like he is chewing his own face, and it does not come off as grim or evil, it just sounds like hell. I get an image of someone small, frail and extremely feeble when I hear his vocals. It is as if he was trying too hard to achieve a sound that he just could not pull off. The end result is something comical, in a way.
The Final War Approaching is not all bad. The musicianship is solid enough. The drumming shows an understanding of minimalist playing, according to Fenriz, and rarely going overboard with the unnecessary fills and so on. The weaknesses are mostly apparent when the songs slow down. The same is true for the guitar playing, as it only comes off as sloppy during the slower parts. When things are moving at a fast tempo, everything sounds as it should. If this was a simple demo release, it would actually give a better impression. Nevertheless, as a full-length album, it does not measure up. They would have done better to work on the material longer, getting rid of useless riffs and also putting more effort into injecting the music with a bit of their own identity instead of trying so hard to pick up where Darkthrone left off. The album is decent for what it is, but could have used a lot of improvement.
To just come out and state the obvious, this band is one of the countless Darkthrone clones that sprang up around the end of the last century. With this in mind, I still hoped for better results, but the album is just too inconsistent. The production is raw and attempts to capture the feeling from Transilvanian Hunger, but does not come close. It possesses a rather amateurish quality that betrays the lack of knowledge of the individuals involved. Of course, one can tell that they have good taste; at least they are emulating a good band. However, they are not really adding anything unique into the mix. The first track, "Deathminded", is pretty decent and features a handful of nice riffs, but just comes off as trying too hard to recreate the past. It also drags a bit. Even the shorter songs feel as though they are much longer, as the arrangements just are not all that engaging. "Skogens mörka djup" is one the exceptions, as its length and approach suits the slow and mournful pace. Overall, this material needed a lot more work and the majority of it comes off as highly derivative with nothing worthwhile added.
The production is awful in that the drumming is too loud and the piss-poor vocals are also too high in the mix. A few of the songs even sound as if they were not recorded during the same session (possibly not at the same studio). This is unacceptable and destroys what little continuity the album had going for it. As for the vocals, Graav is simply awful at this. He sounds like he is chewing his own face, and it does not come off as grim or evil, it just sounds like hell. I get an image of someone small, frail and extremely feeble when I hear his vocals. It is as if he was trying too hard to achieve a sound that he just could not pull off. The end result is something comical, in a way.
The Final War Approaching is not all bad. The musicianship is solid enough. The drumming shows an understanding of minimalist playing, according to Fenriz, and rarely going overboard with the unnecessary fills and so on. The weaknesses are mostly apparent when the songs slow down. The same is true for the guitar playing, as it only comes off as sloppy during the slower parts. When things are moving at a fast tempo, everything sounds as it should. If this was a simple demo release, it would actually give a better impression. Nevertheless, as a full-length album, it does not measure up. They would have done better to work on the material longer, getting rid of useless riffs and also putting more effort into injecting the music with a bit of their own identity instead of trying so hard to pick up where Darkthrone left off. The album is decent for what it is, but could have used a lot of improvement.
(12 Sept. 2011)
Only True Believers (2003)
Released in January 2003, Only True Believers is the second full-length from Sweden's Armagedda. After a rather inconsistent and flawed debut, these guys seemed to learn from their mistakes and show considerable improvement here.
The songwriting is more concise and less derivative. Of course, the influences are still apparent, but the sense of outright plagiarism is absent this time around. The playing is tighter and the overall feeling is that Armagedda is a serious band rather than children imitating their idols. As well, one can get a sense that Graav has finally come into his own as a vocalist. It is not totally different from his sound on The Final War Approaching, but it comes off as less comical and it no longer feels that he is trying too hard to sound evil.
The production is a lot stronger, not overdone in the slightest, but more full and possessing more of a punch. Somehow, it is more reminiscent of Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky, whereas its predecessor was going for the more necro sound of Transilvanian Hunger. That said, the modern recording techniques place this firmly in the 21st century no matter how badly it tries to turn back the clock.
While the album is solid for the most part, three songs stand out more than the rest. “Emperor from the Eternal Dark” opens with an almost upbeat rhythm before an eerie tone creeps in, slowly corrupting the sounds. The main tremolo riff, backed by Hor’s skilled drumming, changes enough to stay engaging. A brief, morbid lead solo adds to the atmosphere. The song never fully descends into darkness but offers a glimpse of those horrors. It’s fast-paced and straightforward yet compelling.
“Poetry from a Poisoned Mind” might be the album’s best track. It bursts out at full speed with wicked vocals and unsettling riffs, clearly surpassing anything from their debut. The middle section shines, with eerie riffs and ghastly vocals creating a morbid atmosphere black metal should aim for. A mournful tremolo riff follows, black as night. Every element guitars, drums, vocals blends into a bleak vision of misery and death, feeding a dark urge beneath the empty night sky.
“Endless Fields of Sorrow” closes the album with slow, sorrowful riffs that recall early Darkthrone, Burzum, and old Mütiilation. Its droning, depressive atmosphere persists despite faster moments. Like filthy rats, these sounds lure us from shadowed dwellings toward the endless graveyard atop hell’s mouth. Epic melodies make this track stand out, draining the listener’s life as the album fades.
While their influences are still easily detected, the band did something very important that they failed to do the first time around: they infused their tribute with a few original ideas and ended up with a much more impressive record for their efforts. Only True Believers is not a classic, but it a decent album that is worth checking out. Unfortunately, they completely lost their way with the next one and polluted the scene with an uninspired, sloppy mess that wasted all the momentum they had. Consider the band dead after this point.
The songwriting is more concise and less derivative. Of course, the influences are still apparent, but the sense of outright plagiarism is absent this time around. The playing is tighter and the overall feeling is that Armagedda is a serious band rather than children imitating their idols. As well, one can get a sense that Graav has finally come into his own as a vocalist. It is not totally different from his sound on The Final War Approaching, but it comes off as less comical and it no longer feels that he is trying too hard to sound evil.
The production is a lot stronger, not overdone in the slightest, but more full and possessing more of a punch. Somehow, it is more reminiscent of Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky, whereas its predecessor was going for the more necro sound of Transilvanian Hunger. That said, the modern recording techniques place this firmly in the 21st century no matter how badly it tries to turn back the clock.
While the album is solid for the most part, three songs stand out more than the rest. “Emperor from the Eternal Dark” opens with an almost upbeat rhythm before an eerie tone creeps in, slowly corrupting the sounds. The main tremolo riff, backed by Hor’s skilled drumming, changes enough to stay engaging. A brief, morbid lead solo adds to the atmosphere. The song never fully descends into darkness but offers a glimpse of those horrors. It’s fast-paced and straightforward yet compelling.
“Poetry from a Poisoned Mind” might be the album’s best track. It bursts out at full speed with wicked vocals and unsettling riffs, clearly surpassing anything from their debut. The middle section shines, with eerie riffs and ghastly vocals creating a morbid atmosphere black metal should aim for. A mournful tremolo riff follows, black as night. Every element guitars, drums, vocals blends into a bleak vision of misery and death, feeding a dark urge beneath the empty night sky.
“Endless Fields of Sorrow” closes the album with slow, sorrowful riffs that recall early Darkthrone, Burzum, and old Mütiilation. Its droning, depressive atmosphere persists despite faster moments. Like filthy rats, these sounds lure us from shadowed dwellings toward the endless graveyard atop hell’s mouth. Epic melodies make this track stand out, draining the listener’s life as the album fades.
While their influences are still easily detected, the band did something very important that they failed to do the first time around: they infused their tribute with a few original ideas and ended up with a much more impressive record for their efforts. Only True Believers is not a classic, but it a decent album that is worth checking out. Unfortunately, they completely lost their way with the next one and polluted the scene with an uninspired, sloppy mess that wasted all the momentum they had. Consider the band dead after this point.
(13 Sept. 2011)
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