1394 - The Wolf and the King (2024)

Feeling like getting hit by a bag of bricks to the face? Well, that is exactly how “The Wolkf and the King” feels thanks to its incisive rawness and pummeling aggression. 1349 returns after five years with their best release to date. Featuring eight tracks and nearly 40 minutes of music, this release reminds the listener that Black Metal is powerful and visceral, as the band keeps their sound raw and crushing while still delivering tons of stylistic and technical nuances. If you like uncompromising and pummeling music, this is the release for you.

Opening with the crushing “The God Devourer”, we get massive drums, courtesy of none other than Frost (Satyricon), and Ravn’s signature fierce snarl. The riffing immediately fills the air with piercing precision and the throbbing bass guitar line masterfully adds to the mix. The band’s sound is raw and piercing, with pieces like “Ash of Ages”, “Shadow Point”, and “Inferior Pathways” always focusing on brutality amongst crafty tempo changes and interesting rhythms that quickly make the band stand out.

Songs like “Inner Portal” evoke the darkness of old-school Norwegian Black Metal, transporting the listener to the simpler early days of the genre. Far from your typical tremolo picking BM, the band explore more sinister Black/Death Metal riffs, as we can hear on songs like “The Vessel and the Storm” giving them a more violent and diverse sound. However, when it comes to raising hell in more traditional manners, “Obscura” shows they can pull it off seamlessly.

As the release closes with the more theatrical “Fatalist”, we are left quite impressed by the range of influences that 1394 develops in this release, while keeping a very compact and punishing sound. There is no need for fluff or trendy stuff here, as “The Wolf and the King” is a very elegant and yet raw and powerful founding release without the need of gimmicks. If you like your Black Metal punishing and to the point without, this is the release for you.

Label: Season of Mist

Release: October 4th, 2024

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Norway