Arkona - Age of Capricorn (2019)

Just when you think that 2019 can’t get any better in terms of Black Metal release, Polish Arkona decides to drop their triumphant release “Age of Capricorn”. Delivering one of the most savage and yet melodic and refined BM releases of the last decade, we are treated to over 46 minutes of vicious music. If you are a fan of the genre that wants both relentless aggression and high-octane atmospherics, this is the best album you can get in 2019.

After a creepy intro with some eerie samples, “Stella Inferno” quickly unleashes grim riffs and bestial drums. This track is both atmospheric and in your face, blowing past your eardrums and rattling your brain as Khorzon and company spew their madness. The playful synths perfectly combine with the blistering pace of the demonical “Alone Among Wolves”. As if the BM aural assault wasn’t enough, some super creepy wolf samples add and insane amount of depth and vigor to this track.

The band’s musical savagery reaches new levels with the demoralizing album title track. Perfectly blending atmosphere with inhuman screams, layered guitars and hyper fast drums, this track is what hellish dreams are made of. Coming off such a high from the previous song, tracks like “Deathskull Mystherium” and “Towards the Dark” do not give the listener any room to breath with even more powerful waves of riffs, haunting atmospherics, and a furious pace.

As this release dawns to a close with the bestial “Grand Manifest of Death”, we can’t really recover from such a precisely crafted savage onslaught of both brutality and atmosphere. While most bands focus their energy on a limited aspect of their sound, Arkona has truly mastered all their influences together in one massive and cohesive sound. If you are not afraid of aural savagery, move forward and check out this magnificent release.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: December 13th, 2019

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Poland