Ragnarok – Malediction (2012)

“Holy Shit” are the first words that come to mind after listening to the latest essay in Black Metal brutality from Norway’s Ragnarok. Under the name of “Malediction”, this band unleashes their latest savage release that will blow you away since the opening riffs. Featuring ten tracks of relentless Black Metal, this is by far one of the most brutal releases we have ever heard. With the addition of Bolverk on Guitars, the band is as brutal as it has ever been in this release.

Opening with the piercing “Blood of Saints”, the band unleashes their riffage attack very early in the album and never lets go. With crystal clear BM riffs and blazing drums they attack the listener in every single waking moment of this release. HansFyrste again does a great job handling the vocal duties and you will be hearing his demonic screams in your nightmares for days to come. Using very traditional BM structures on tracks like “Demon in My View”, the band takes advantage of their polished musical skills and excellent production to bring their destructive sound to life.

Just imagine a combination of the sheer brutality of bands like Anaal Nathrakh but with the riffing of BM legends Horna thrown in the mix and that is exactly what this record sounds like. Pummeling through songs, the band does a great job in throwing in some melodic sections into the mix to greatly enhance the brutality of their crushing BM sound. Tracks like “Dystocratic” and “Pro Patria Mori” showcase the band’s abilities to deliver crushing blows and excellent melodic sections with hyper fast riffing, pummeling bass guitar lines, and insane drumming.

Our favorite track in this release has to be the rollercoaster ride “Fade Into Obscrurity”, a track that features killer riffs and a crazy intensity level. Closing with the catchy “Sword of Damocles”, the band has managed to deliver a highly intense release from beginning to end that will surely never be forgotten. For all fans of Black Metal, this is as good as you get, so go ahead and make this purchase since we guarantee you will NOT regret it.

Release: October 30th, 2012 (Europe) / November 6th, 2012 (North America)

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Norway