We are, once again, given an excellent example that the Black Metal we all love so much, is not dead and buried. This almost simplistic, yet extremely effective, approach to the genre, is one that I hold close. It does not try to upgrade the genre, nor elevate the Dark Arts to otherworldly levels. It takes the founding fathers’ “rules” and plays according to them!
It is quite simple, right? Well, sometimes this is taken as simplistic, and we all know what simplistic means. But Armnatt are not simplistic in any way. I have been following their path since their first release – Split – and always felt that they had that sense of what is Black Metal, that very little have. They aim for the throat, they strip it down to the basics, but are able, still, to achieve this level of composition. I am repeating myself, but I do find them quite effective in their craft.
I have, more and more, stepped away from drastic changes in Black Metal, and returned to the roots, if you will. Straightforward composition and a tremendous amount of feeling. I was really looking forward for seeing them live at Invicta Reqviem Mass, in 2020, but Covid came, and the rest is history.
The Portuguese scene needs no introduction, and I hope these chaps get the same level of recognition that many other musicians have, for they deserve it. (DanielP)
