Strength Through Torture

Whenever I write a review about ARMAGEDDA, I know in advance that I won't be stingy on words of praise! Yet again, this premise is confirmed. "Strength Through Torture" is one of the highlights of my collection of rare Black Metal items, and it's a pleasure for me to explain the reasons why I prize it so much.

Anyone who has read my previous reviews of ARMAGEDDA's releases but has not heard the band yet should still be able to imagine more or less what their stylistic features are. The most striking trait on "Strength Through Torture", however, is that the band succeeded in composing 2 songs that bring together elements of contrast. The style is obviously still Black Metal in its purest form, but this EP is an experience in extremes.

Side 1 is the first of these. "A World Full Of Lies" is a slow tempo song composed by A. and has a great deal in common with "At The Edge Of Negative Existence", which appeared on the split with Woods Of Infinity. The similarity is not due to any tune plagiarism, but is mainly the result of the fact that it is equally focused on being anti-world and anti-human. The feel of this track is one of disgust, hatred and utter negativism. The guitars weigh heavily on the emotions of the listener, and the lyrics do not linger behind! The words express a total rejection of the world of humans and an inability to identify with everything it represents! And what a perfect job Graav does with the vocals! Just in case the music and the lyrics do not sink in deeply enough, the vocals are here to increase the intensity of the experience. At first, Graav's voice seems a combination of hatred and contempt, but towards the end, suffering and torment are added. I cannot even begin to explain how expressively unpleasant his voice sounds. And so it should, to get the concept across! ARMAGEDDA could have decided to arrange the vocals in a way that the listener would have greater comfort listening to them. But this track is not about comfort. It's about all the feelings I have mentioned, expressed in their most honest and soulraping form.

Side 2 is the other extreme. Instead of being slowish, "Dödens Vind" is as fast as ARMAGEDDA have ever been, and completely hateful. Exceptionally, it was the drummer, Phycon, who put down both the lyrics and the tunes. The drums thrash away throughout the track, while the guitars abuse our ears in thick layers of inhuman loathing. The vocals are spectral and threatening, and do not follow the notes blindly as is often heard with other bands. Far from bringing our pulse down to a near death state, as was the case on side 1, "Dödens Vind" has the power to awaken the most sinister thoughts and feelings within me, though its aggression is adorned by a slight dose of melody. Can a song be both lugubrious and beautiful? Well, "Dödens Vind" sure as hell can!

So, it can certainly be said that, with this EP, ARMAGEDDA have made yet another strong statement in setting the standards of True Black Metal too high for most other bands. My final thought, to use Nietzschean words, is that, compared to the "big" commercial bands, ARMAGEDDA may seem small to most people, but it's only because they soar too high for those who stand below!