Metal Reviews

I've been blasting the new Watain album Sworn to the Dark a lot alongside my usual playlist of Carnivore, Venom and more Carnivore lately.

Even at this stage and even if it's not quite as good as their previous work, i think it's going to be one of the top releases of the year. (Ofermod and DsO will piss all over this if they get new stuff out, though.) The music has a lot of added traditional heavy metal melodicism a'la Dissection, and the lyrics are brilliant as always.

So, whatcha all think about the new Watain?

Hmm, heard a few bad things about it, but not from especially reliable sources. Still haven't got round to hearing it yet.

It has some weaker moments, it's even Dark Funeralish (although DF never had riffs as good as this) at times, but as a whole it's solid. 8/10, i'd say.

I don't necessarily mind the heavy metal moments but it certainly is not what I was expecting, 7/10, but I'm not sure I've listened enough to feel confident in that score.

Just found it and am about 1:37 into the first track. Will return to this thread later

To gain scene points, figure out what band the first riff (that appears at the end also) is nicked from.

Well haven't heard it but heard a lot of bad comments about it being too melodic and has a better production and all that usual underground bm bitching. I've heard one song and it actually did lack the bleak atmosphere of the earlier albums but I dunno, its Watain for fucks sake, it can't suck that bad.

*blasts some casus luciferi*

To me, and I don't normally think of things this way but, it's like Mayhem's De Mysteriis... meets old Dissection, but with that Watain/orthodox bm element to it.. Production is definitely cleaner cleaner than before too, yes. Other than that, I haven't listened to it enough to really break it down or score it.

-Tyrion.

I can't do it my scene credibility is next to nothing!

But I like the record so far, I agree with those placing it somewhere between DMDS and Dissection, will probably end up listening to this more than CL.

I saw all of one and a half Watain songs in their mighty 15 minute support slot for Celtic Frost and Kreator. One of the songs ended with about a minute and a half of the same chord slowly being hit, again and again and again. Needless to say it sucked. Don't know if that's a new one or not. The other song was ok i think.

Good album. Don't know if it's better than Casus Luciferi...

They went more into the direction similar of Dissection's sound.