Alghazanth - Wreath of Thevetat
Woodcut Records
Melodic Black Metal
8 songs (48'00")
Release year: 2008
Reviewed by Alex
Album of the month

I hope I am not desperately late with this review, but even if I am, another reminder how excellent Wreath of Thevetat is should not hurt. Operating somewhat in the background, Finnish Alghazanth have created an album not to miss. It is true that Wreath of Thevetat is not a novel approach to black metal. Many had done it before and done it well. Alghazanth showed, however, that the mere fact the style is well established should not prevent you from making a quality contribution.

Wreath of Thevetat combines grandiosity of Emperor, cold epic nature of later day Immortal and pensive Finnish melodicism of Thy Serpent. Gorath Moonthorn does a clinic on how fast drumming should be perfectly incorporated into the mix. Fills galore, he simply propels the ship forward, without overpowering it. Goat Tormentor (who is no other than Mikko Kotamaki of Swallow the Sun) flays the flesh off in pieces, rolling from deeper growl (Twice-born) to high intensity without ever sounding cartoonish. His voice is just one of the instruments in a monstrous wall of sound created by Alghazanth pair of guitars. Tremoloed, as we come to expect it in black metal, the guitars go through minor inflections in their riffing to make all the difference. And then there is keyboards, which really can teach Dimmu Borgir that sounding symphonic should not necessarily mean hiring a full orchestra in some Eastern European country. Shining in the more atmospheric moments (Moving Mountains) or leading on to the things more blistering (On Blackening Soil), Alghazanth keys fit the motive. In a way, Rain of Stars, the title fitting perfectly, remind of Covenant’s romanticism, before the name and style change, albeit tons more powerful.

It is no exaggeration that every song on Wreath of Thevetat stands out. Moving Mountains is moving indeed, but it is only a prologue into a minor masterpiece which is The Kings to Come. Future Made Flesh is a perfectly placed change of pace where the guitar wall is ratcheted down and condemning punishing double bass dominates, just before As Nothing Consumes Everything is allowed to conclude the proceedings with heroic triumphant gait The Phosphorescent is full of as well.

There is a story about the poisonous effect from a bite of a goa spider. Under the effect of this neurotoxin people sometimes lose control of their brain-sensory communication and begin uncontrollably rip their own flesh or gouge their own eyes out. Wreath of Thevetat music is close in its impact, the listener completely losing him/herself into its rousing aura.

Killing Songs :
Truly all, but my favorites were Moving Mountains, The Kings to Come, Rain of Stars
Alex quoted 91 / 100
Other albums by Alghazanth that we have reviewed:
Alghazanth - Eight Coffin Nails reviewed by Andy and quoted 87 / 100
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