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Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult > Saldorian Spell > Reviews
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Saldorian Spell

I expected a little bit more - 73%

Felix 1666, January 19th, 2019
Written based on this version: 2009, CD, War Anthem Records (Germany)

DNS remain true to themselves. Another stylish black and white artwork and still this grim, cold and quite occult kind of black metal that comes from deep within. On the one hand, this is nothing new, on the other hand, this is an approach that guarantees an immediate nightfall. Onielar, the female lead vocalist, still does not sound like a beautiful woman but like the incarnation of misanthropy and the musical vision of the corpsepainted horde is driven by hatred and scorn as well. So far, so good.

Nevertheless, "Saldorian Spell" does not achieve the level of its predecessor. "Hora Nocturna" had this über-hit "Das All-Eine", while the opening title track of their work from 2009 does not burst with memorable elements. But that's not all. Generally speaking, some riffs and leads of the eight songs suffer from a lack of clear contours. The material is inspired by the aura of albums such as "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" (without Attila's singing style), yet it does not reach the perfect level of this monument - by far not. DNS cannot be blamed for being not able to create a proper atmosphere or to transform their spirituality into their compositions. Everything is covered by a cloak of darkness. Nevertheless, I cannot fight against the feeling that the musicians did not fully exploit their potential, even though some songs are really good.

"The Descent to the Last Circle" is opened by a simple drum rhythm which rolls out the carpet for an energetic guitar line. Blast beats intermezzos give the song a dynamic touch and the different parts shape a very coherent piece. "Kataklysmic Bretherens" switches from melancholic yet menacing guitar notes to high-speed parts. Both tracks are pretty similar to each other and unfortunately, this applies for the remaining six tracks as well. It seems as if the artists have set themselves a very strict limit for their musical room for manoeuvre. That's not a bad thing per se, but here we have a record that has to struggle in view of this voluntary self-restriction. It would be an exaggeration to say that the output borders on monotony, but it also cannot be ignored that DNS have forgotten to integrate some outstanding elements that give the songs their own personality. However, I don't want to complain too much on a high comfort level. "Saldorian Spell" is still a very robust black metal album that spits on any form of external influences.

The production shows no signs of weakness. Maybe the album sounds marginally dull and the final five percent of vehemence are missing, but this is the typical approach of DNS. Without offering any pretentious nonsense, the band sticks to the well-known formula of the here performed genre and any kind of questions concerning the authenticity of the trio is simply idiotic. From this follows that each and every fan of trve black metal is invited to give the album a try. It won't change her or his life for the better, but when the last tones of the outro with the German lyrics fade away, she or he will have had quite entertaining 41 minutes of music.

Moonlit nights of macabre revelry - 80%

autothrall, December 21st, 2009

Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult sit atop the very royalty of the German black metal scene. Like many of their peers (Dark Fortress, Endstille, Eternity, etc) they write in a very straightforward style which eschews much innovation in the face of its sinister atmosphere. Combine the blasting evil of a band like Dark Funeral with a colder, grim edge of Darkthrone or Mayhem and you arrive at the sound of the Saldorian Spell, the 4th full length of the Teutonic cult, picking up where the excellent Hora Nocturna left us in a black, bleak wood of oppression, mysticism and filth. I can't say there are any surprises to be had on this album...if you've heard the last few, you already know what to expect, and the band simply delivers on that promise alone. This spell is a blessing and (to a lesser degree) a curse. It's not the first thing I'll reach for when I want a nocturnal hyperblast, but it's a solid 41 minutes to add to the band's legacy.

Little time is wasted in getting to the title track...just under 90 seconds of cold woodland ritual ambiance and then the infernal confrontation of blasting drums and streams of diabolic chords that pay a bloody tribute to the sounds of classic Swedish black, beneath the torment of Onielar's rasp (one of the better German BM vocalists). "Beneath the Moon Scars Above" is an immediate, in your face blaster with more tearing, vile melodies and a thundering bass lick that cuts through the guitars. When the song slows to a charging pace it becomes a surefire anthem to destruction, and "Kataklysmic Bretherens" continues the onslaught after a slow intro of morbid chords. "The Descent to the Last Circle" is perhaps my favorite on the album, with an extremely simple, punkish black fuel to the riff which pays tribute to a Hellhammer/Mayhem influence before blasting the same note pattern into the underworld. The latter half of the album also includes a few gems, like the beautiful melodies of "Glance at the Horizon", the stark and bloodied "Suitor of Death" and the fierce rocking of closer "The Saturine Chapel".

'Deafening its centenary droning beat, a
timeless tone, an elegy of melancholy, born
out of nightly died away choirs.'

With good lyrics and good music...I can do nothing but recommend Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult to anyone who values a straight shooting black metal band. The band does not delve too heavily into an atmosphere beyond that which its broiling chords create as they stir the cauldrons of the abyss. A few of the tracks have some subtle, melodic touches buried within which craft more than a mindless tribute to other works, but there aren't many riffs that outright blow your mind. I hate to call any black metal album a 'pleasant' listen, but if, like myself, you have become attuned to this sound through exposure to hundreds or thousands of such albums, Saldorian Spell is a satisfying and 'pleasant' album with a tight production standard, well suited for moonlit nights of macabre revelry.

Highlights: The Descent to the Last Circle, Glance at the Horizon, The Saturnine Chapel

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com