The 2013 demo by the Finnish band Arnaut Pavle was a pretty sensational release, filled with filthy punky Black Metal heavily inspired by Darkthrone. In the following years the band continued to work on new material, and released their debut album ‘Arnaut Pavle’ in 2019 through Mystiskaos. That album was a logical continuation from the demo, sticking mostly to the same sort of punky raw Black Metal vibe while gently adding a little more melodic leads and such. But above all, the band managed to fulfill the promise of the demo, delivering another string of excellent tracks to their name. Needless to say, new Arnaut Pavle material is a reason for excitement, and we get exactly that in the shape of ‘Transylvanian Glare’, the band’s newest album co-released by Mystiskaos and Amor Fati Productions.
And the new album does not disappoint. The guitars are still gritty and filthy, the riffs are still hooky, the vocals remain raunchy and the snappy drums and thick bass sound sound as if taken straight from the mid 90’s. There’s a small shift in the style, although the base is still that raw rocking punk-infused Black Metal sound of Darkthrone. But more than on the previous releases, this has been supplemented with the killer type of riffs also found on for instance Dødheismgard’s ‘Monumental Possession’ and early Gorgoroth albums. With that comes a slight more emphasis on eerie melodies, obvious in a track like ‘With Sulphur Carriage’ that has a slightly more epic midpaced nature, or the at times solo-laden near Thrash and Heavy Metal sounding ‘Transylvanian Glare’. This Thrashy sound also comes back in a track like ‘Baptized in Jesus’ Piss’, which is another highlight in rocking groove. Closing track ‘On a Shrine of Rats‘ is probably the most Finnish sounding of the bunch, with that typical melancholy draped over the mostly midpaced track and great melodic solos and growling vocals providing an interesting contrast. Overall, it’s subtle changes made to the songwriting that fit very seamlessly in the by now established punky groovy galore that is the work of Arnaut Pavle, and needless to say, ‘Transylvanian Glare’ is another glorious ride in their discography.
Catchy raw Black Metal filled with great hooks and solos, their latest effort is a slightly less punky and more diverse work than the demo and the previous album, yet with all the praiseworthy characteristics that made those standout releases. Arnaut Pavle comes in with a banger to start off the year!
