Zadok wrote:
North From Here wrote:
Edit--Now that I've listened to it again, I'm giving it a somewhat kinder review than Zad did. Indeed it does sound dated, and we've heard those depressive riffs from Darkthrone before, but the production is just the right balance between lo-fi and clarity. I do agree that Nine Circles is the standout track.
Hmm, I did say it's a grower, and according to the site guidelines a score in the 50s is for a 'medium' album (sorry to be pedantic!). TBH I could have given it a 40 after the first listen and with further listens it could creep higher, to a 60 at the most? I didn't think it really deserved generosity, though, after all this time - certainly a disappointing comeback from them, although it's definitely listenable for those, like you, who'll appreciate this sort of sound. As ever, it's the words not the numbers.
(although I always feel saying that is a bit of a getout for a potentially poor choice of score...)
I understand Zad, and I revised my opinion of the album after the first half of the album, which is better, or less samey-sounding, than the last few tracks. This is also Gehenna, after many years, and we'd expect something a bit better than this, at least.
Also, while I appreciate you, and many other reviewers do follow the site guidelines to numbers, some other reviewers would call a 50/100 the worst album they heard all year.