Azaghal – Teraphim (2009)

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If I’m ever looking for a brutal and raw Black Metal album, I always turn back to my Azaghal and Horna albums, since they are the true embodiment of this genre. Azaghal returns after one year of releasing “Omega” and the still bring their A game to the table.

The only change that Azaghal has suffered is the very light use of synth in their last two albums, and in “Teraphim” this element makes me like this album even better. This being said, do not expect Dimmu Borgir style synths or anything like that, just small hints to complement a song.

While compared to Horna, Azaghal plays pretty much the same style of Black Metal, except one small difference: their music is somewhat more melodic since they feature slowdown parts in some of their songs allowing the listener to take a little breather from all the evil and aggressiveness infused in the bands music.

The sound that Azaghal has managed to achieve in this album is a landmark since they combine both old school elements with some of the freshness of the current state of BM. I could even go as far as saying that musically this album is even superior to “Omega”.

The vocals are excellent and provide the necessary emotion that the aggressiveness of the music calls for. The drumming is very precise and creates great foundations for either the blast-beat sections or the slower paced ones, never loosing track of the direction of the song. The riffing in this album is pretty solid and showcases the abilities the axe men of the band have in creating BM music. The overall structure of the album’s music is excellent featuring a great balance between the brutality and melody the music presents.

If I had recommend a few tracks of the album I would gladly go with “His Black Flame” or track 5 because of the eeriness created by the synth and “The Call Of The Dark” because of that amazing slowdown passage in that song.

Overall probably one the best Black Metal albums of the year from an already legendary band, so get out there and buy this album before it’s too late.

Band: Azaghal Album: Teraphim
Label: Moribund Records

Release: September 29nd, 2009

Official Site myspace
Genre: Black Metal

Country: Finland

Rating: 95/100
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