Omega

When listening to this album for the first time, you will be wide awake in a matter of seconds. The reason for this is that a suddenly emerging army of sharp guitars combines ugliness and massiveness brilliantly while attacking the audience. In order to avoid misunderstandings, this is exactly the kind of attack that musically well educated people like you appreciate. Anyway, seeking shelter would be a useless plan, because the wall of sound leaves no chance to escape. The misanthropes of Azaghal present fanatic black metal in its purest form and they are in the fortunate position that the flawless production expresses their musical vision in a forceful manner. The compositions are gilded by the radicalism of the mix with the effect that they shine in full glory.

"Radical" is also the suitable term for the songs themselves. It is obvious that Azaghal hate any form of compromises. Yet they are clever enough to vary their pieces as much as necessary. The third track, for instance, differs from both its predecessors considerably. Instead of following their ultra-brutal approach, it is based on an almost ritualistic riff. The background choirs emphasize the feeling of attending a spiritual meeting. Does anybody make sacrifices for "Quetzalcoatl", a deity of the Aztecs and the Mayas as well? It seems so, even though I do not understand a single word of the Finnish lyrics. But Azaghal cannot remain (more or less) calm for more than five minutes. Already the next track leads back into the blackest pits of hell. It seems as if its high speed riffs want to go down in the history books as the sonic definition of cruelty. But the most baffling feature of "Kuolonkäärme" is the weird connection of structure and chaos and I really do not know which element is dominating. In general, this is a strength of the album: every band member works with a deadly precision, but the overall impression does not lack of the charisma of artistic insanity. The musicians of Azaghal do not spare themselves and the result sounds absolutely authentic.

If you delve into the songs of "Omega", you will find out that its aura possesses a specific kind of pitilessness. Of course, black metal must always have a destructive energy. But some albums of the genre just appear as a "normal" lethal weapon. By contrast, "Omega" has the power of a cluster bomb and it kills mercilessly. In other words, Azaghal´s performance scores with an extra dose of vileness and perfidy. Their ability to impress with inexorable guitar lines adds the finishing touch. By the way, the band masters the cold-bloodedly calculated riffs and leads as well as the seemingly uncontrolled roaring, as it can be seen by a comparison of the eighth and the ninth tracks.

The musicians are also able to create different atmospheres. During the rare slow-moving parts, the sound of the formation lies in close proximity to the crawling monsters of Marduk. The use of synthesizers which show up in the fifth track generates a misty flair, but this remains an isolated case. The high speed sections dominate. Yet irrespective of the individual songs and their alternating configurations, all tunes have taken an extensive bath in the bubbling primordial soup of black metal. This does not mean that this album is the Alpha and Omega of the sub genre at the same time. Nonetheless, it appears as a raging beast and it belongs definitely to the extended leading group of the black metier. If you need a nice kind of brainwashing, this devilish metal blast will make your day.

Azaghal’s black terror metal has been lurking with malicious intent around the lakes of Finland for nearly a decade now, and Omega, the band’s seventh full length which claims to distil the essence that has made Azaghal underground legends for so long, into an album ready for a larger scale exposure, is now upon us.

Immediately the waves of black filth come like a shitstorm in first track “Taman Maailman Prinssi” whose guitars well up and twirl like a rising of bile in your oesophagus. There is great use of echo in “Pirun Verta” to make a stabbing impact in the beginning verse of the song, and the third song “Quetzalcoatl” lowers the tempo nicely with a monstrous mighty riff, a real headbanger.

The more emotional and reflective riffs maybe a result of Watain and Deathspell Omega’s recent work. There are even distant echoes of Storm of the Light’s Bane. If you listen hard enough however many more influences become apparent including Immortal and Mayhem. This is not to say Omega is a jigsaw puzzle put together with other band’s pieces, on the contrary. Omega has the magic combination of some interesting ideas and songs fused with a furious and intense sound. Azaghal also use clean vocals at the end of some songs, as part of an exciting climax and you might think instantly that this will sound like Anaal Nathrakh or Emperor, but there is a more primeval and archaic feel to the vocals utilized.

As the press release states, these songs really are uncannily memorable. Maybe it is the sheer simplicity in structure of the songs on Omega, but it suffers from a hint of accessibility that you don’t want on your black metal records.

This will not deter most, maybe a few die-hards who like it more true than standing with a wolf on top of an icy mountain in Norway at night in the winter and the wolf is howling in Norwegian about disembowelling Christ and burning churches (phew) might think this is headed in a commercial direction. Others will see this is still a black metal record and a damn good one at that.

Azaghal's been active in the black metal business for well over 10 years now... And it seems that people are constantly dismissing their loyalty. And I can understand them, partially. Azaghal's quality has dropped recently. But with "Omega"... Oh man, they're back.

For the first time after the debut demo, Azaghal welcomes us with a little bit of synth. "WHAT"? Yeah, but it's not that noticeable. Just a background effect to lift the mood up, and only on two tracks.The majority of this CD is filled with all the goodies Azaghal has delivered us so far : Christcrushing pounding of the drums, demonic screeches of the abyss, infernal strumming of the lead guitar, while promising us, the listeners, a vexing continuity to "Luciferin Valo". This time Azaghal's really made it. The songs are well planned, and the CD has it's slow and fast parts equally. One track is re-recorded from the split with Black Death Ritual, "Maailman Viimeinen Yö" (World's last night), and damn, does it suit the atmosphere well. One could easily contemplate suicide while listening to this Thy Serpent-ish tune of the woods.

I must name two killer tunes that Azaghal will be remembered by from now on. "Quetzalcoatl" is the slowest form of blasphemy on this album, and you will remember it from the oriental riffing, which reminds me of Melechesh's better works.

The other? "Vihani raivoavina valtamerinä" (My hate as raging oceans). This one's amazing, a song which truly shows that Azaghal is capable of playing something different. A bit of synth on the background, a slow tempo... Which breaks loose in the last two minutes.

This one's a piece of modern black metal art. Buy/download NOW.