The musical direction of Darkthrone may not excite me nearly as much these days as it once did. But it’s hard to deny that Fenriz has some musical taste. And when he says something about a promising artist it’s usually worth listening to hear what the deal is. Especially so when it concerns a bad that is deeply inspired by his own legacy. So here we are, listening to Avmakt. After a self-released demo and appearance on the compilation ‘Dark Side of the Sacred Star’, Peaceville presents us with their debut album, ’Satanic Inversion of…’.
Avmakt may be a relatively new band, but the members are not lacking in experience in the Norwegian music scene. Obliteration, Gouge, Black Magic and Condor are just some of the bands on the resume of Kristian Valbo and Christoffer Bråthen, the members that comprise this act. Mostly bands that wouldn’t strictly fall under the Black Metal banner, but certainly all have some elements of the genre embedded in them. Yet on ‘Satanic inversion of…’ they go full-fledged second wave Black Metal, with a heartfelt and unapologetic worship of early Darkthrone.
From the very first note of opener ‘Ordinance’ it becomes clear that the members of Avmakt listened obsessively to ‘A Blaze in the Northern Sky’. Not only that, it’s also very obvious that Valbo and Bråthen know damn well what makes that particular record so monumental: the riffs. ‘Satanic Inversion of…’ is filled to the brim with killer riffs in the vein of the first handful of Black Metal records by Darkthrone, wrapped in a raw sound that fits a similar zeitgeist. Besides a knack for writing excellent riffs, it’s the way in which they tie these seamlessly together that’s perhaps the most impressive. With playing times between five and ten minutes the six tracks seem on the long side, but the dynamics in pace and groove make playing time completely obsolete. You’ll be far too busy thoroughly enjoying what the duo throws at you.
Within ‘Ordinance’ the band displays their cunning capacity to effortlessly break into a new array of riffs at a whim. At times dynamic, other times hypnotic, it’s the flow that makes the song a great start to the album. ‘Poison reveal’ then is a track dripping with authenticity that is more focused on a couple of riffs. A typical case of quality over quantity, as this is some of the very best the band offers on the record. While the following ‘Sharpening Blades of Cynicism’ combines elements of both of the preceding songs, it also introduces some of a slower, almost doomy approach towards Black Metal. The crawling end also comes back in the subsequent ‘Towing Oblivion’, a song that is otherwise filled with splendid rocking groove. Within ‘Charred’ the band alternates the pace in sudden bursts, but it’s perhaps the least impressive song on the record. At least, it pales a bit compared to the closing ‘Doubt and the Void’, featuring 10 minutes of droning drum fury that is menacing and repetitive yet introduces subtle changes in riffs and overwhelms with accenting thunderous percussions. What a way to end the record!
Let’s face it, a band sounding like Darkthrone isn’t at all new anymore anno 2024. But it is rare that a band manages to capture that sound with such quality and conviction. That alone makes this Avmakt debut a very impressive record. Perhaps Peaceville lost their status as one of the prime Black Metal labels decades ago, but don’t let that take anything away from ‘Satanic Inversion of…’. It is simply an excellent, authentic and captivating display of ‘A Blaze in the Nothern Sky’ worship done exceptionally well.
Peaceville Records
- Country: United Kingdom
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, Other
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Youtube
