• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Battle Dagorath are easily one of the more consistently high-quality bands in Metal. They've been pushing their distinct brand of icy, engulfing Black Metal since 2008, and every album from there ranges from really good to freaking great. Suffice to say, I was pretty excited to see the promo for their latest coming into my inbox, and thankfully they have yet to truly disappoint.

If you've heard any album from this band, then you have a good idea of what this is going to sound like: long, frigid songs that patiently build upon themselves before moving into new directions, quiet ambient sections carefully interspersed between the abrasive riffing and low, distorted shrieks, and a constant atmosphere of hostile winters in mysterious lands. I have to say this isn't quite as good as their last one, with compositions that are more disjointed and less captivating than before, and the band's bad habit of going on longer than they need to rears its head more than it did last time. That said, this band still has a knack for killer riffs and a consistently enthralling mood, so even if they're not working at full power here, they still beat the piss out of most of the Atmospheric Black Metal that's out there. Fans of the band can grab this sight unseen, and while I'd recommend II - Frozen Light of Eternal Darkness over this, anyone who's unfamiliar with the band can do worse than to start here.