Saatana

The intro begins with something that sounds like a CB radio frequency and then a bomb exploding. It is only fitting since Barathrum is traveling down that don't-look-back-now road of technological advancement (in this case digital), and it definitely makes a difference in their production. On one hand, those folks that thought their first three albums were scratchy, unlistenable, and a little too close to real fire and demon's grins might be thinking that the band should have done that to begin with. 'Hey dummy, cleaner = better.' However, along with their song writing, it makes a difference to the likers of their priors who thought that the band was the perfect compliment to toast with a spread of virgin's blood or a special guest appearance of a full moon on a pitch black night. Their sound here essentially made things a little lighter outside and fluffed up the blood with some strawberry jam.

'Saatana' has a tone of simplicity, moves at a medium to slower pacing, and has song writing that creates individual tracks with their own little personalities instead of more closely connected numbers that sound very similar. A big aspect here is the album's catchiness factor. While that works on the whole for some bands and others detest the notion with instead a full-steam-ahead mentality and irregular patterns to upset your ears. Though Barathrum here wants you to remember their music while attempting to balance a tone or color that is unfortunately a little faded on the black metal side.

The fifth number, just plain badly titled 'Helluva Agitator,' is a medium paced heavy metal inspired song. It comes with its own little clean voiced man in the background yelling out a single word in gang-unison. The main guitar line is almost too upbeat sounding for comfortableness. While the song does go into Barathrum-like riffs that don't scream "1980s!" it is simultaneously a surprising change that needed a little more work to fit together the older influences with their brand of '90's extreme metal. The twelfth wonder (bonus song: 'Necromantical Ritual') opens up with the same single finger chord that mid-'80's Metallica loved, and Venom adored on 'Welcome to Hell,' except much more pumping and down a closer path to distinct trad metal lineage. The main guitar line on the eighth ('Countess Erszebeth Nadasdy') almost sounds like a hardcore riff played at half speed. It might be coincidence that Barathrum have achieved an unabashed basicness sometimes similar to bands in the genre. The other bridging riff in the song uses a kind of hammer-on, ended with a particular unharmonious, though fitting, note, and even though the band has something special and climatic going for it here, they didn't over use it.

The ninth track ('Sacrilegium') has a number of riffs that are equally as dark as they are decent, there is surprisingly a solo here, even if played in a simple, dirty-beyond-belief fashion. Along with some of the other songs, it opens with a doom-like momentum and moves onto some palm muting/chugging and other simplistic adventures going for power. Barathrum uses a truck-load of experimentation on the sixth track ('Melancholy, Infinity, Agony') and it sounds just as fitting for the band. It uses lightly distorted guitars playing almost clean, while being dipped in tasty effects and covered in finger-licking reverb. The strings play in a calmer temperament as the drums are also included to match the same volume level. The vocals here are practically clean, with delay effects helping project his voice up and down, this way and that.

The tenth track ('Saatana') is a perfect case were catchy shoots itself in the foot. 'Catchy, now I told you not to play with loaded guns!' The song uses the type of opening riff that you compulsively hear at the back of your head even when the music ceased. Except it's more something to do with analyzing a situation gone awkward and awry. The riff ends with some kind of joint "Hey!" that leaves the taste of sauerkraut and Oktoberfest in your mouth without a beer in sight to wash it away with. A sober, living-hell-like image of men in suspenders, kicking the air, thumbs-upping each other and catchy-go-lucky black metal music suffocating from all sides. An atmosphere clearly not advisable for children, or out of all things moral and righteous to go out on the limb and dedicate your album title to.

The vocals are still here with that dirty and distorted projection of a voice caught in a wind-tunnel and your ears manage to pick up its gargles on the other side. Effects are still sprinkled not only on his voice but the other instruments add a layer of additional content to spice up the mood. The production however brings it into the forefront with sharper imagery; like watching a horror movie in HD, you can expose all of the killer's pimples and essentially tell where more furniture is in a darkened room. The drums, for instance, are heard evenly, clear and concise; if a stick should accidentally drop your ears might be able to pick it up. Barathrum is also experimental here, though not as much risk takers as their prior work is. However, they find a balance with the person who wants an against-the-grain type of music and also someone who doesn't want muck covered up to their elbows; one foot in the midst of danger, one foot out to relative safety. I think their catchy side hurts them at times, gives them an upbeat quality that it is hard to imagine a realistic shadowy atmosphere with. And in the end this album is to an extent redeemable, though it isn't as split up evenly as a whole as someone with my odd tastes would like.

Saatana is the 5th Barathrum album, released to high expectations after the successful "Legions Of Perkele" album which featured a more accessible production than the first three and an effective mixture of more rockin' tracks and occult atmospheres. I remember I anticipated its release eagerly back in the day, having enjoyed the direction Barathrum had developed to on the "Devilry" tape & the previous album. So did Demonos and his crew deliver or not?


I must say I was a bit dissappointed when the album was released, I just felt it didn't reach the same level as "Legions..." or "Eerie" had. Basically the band continues from where they left off, with songs both in the rocking, somewhat tongue-in-cheek vein (Helluva Agitator, Regent Of Damnation) and the slower, more occult and sinister numbers (Beltane, Melancholy, Infinity, Agony). As on all the Barathrum albums, the song material is a mix of old tracks (oldest one here is "Sacrilegium", featured also on the "Battlecry" demo) and new ones (Dark Sorceress 2). The main changes in songwriting would be that the more recent tracks tend to be a little more "light-hearted" in their approach, with more of a headbanging & fist-pumping vibe compared to the primitive, barbaric devilry of the older ones. Just compare "Boundless Arts" or "Beltane" to "Helluva Agitator" or "Saatana" and you see what I mean. The mixture here doesn't work as well as before due to slightly weaker newer material and the lack of the initial novelty value. Don't get me wrong, it's still Barathrum and "light-hearted" in this context would mean something closer to Venom than Abba.


The production is strong and clear, courtesy of Tico Tico studio & Ahti Kortelainen. A bit too clean for my taste, I would enjoy a little grittier and rougher sound. The instruments are all audible and as usual with Barathrum sound the basses (Sova & G'thaur on this recording) are very prominent. This is an enjoyable aspect and suits especially well the often ritualistic nature of the songs. Another thing worth mentioning is the timpani-percussion on "Regent Of Damnation" which suits the song extremely well. Sova's vocals are in good form, he spits forth venom with conviction and keeps to what he does best for most of the time. He does ok on "Melancholy, Infinity, Agony" where he narrates much of the lyrics.


Over time the album has grown on me, from the initial slight dissappointment to approval so I can recommend this if you've enjoyed the other Barathrum albums or more old-school approach to black metal in general. Maybe not essential but worth checking out for sure. Standout tracks: Beltane, Boundless Arts, Regent Of Damnation.