Nattsvargr ‎"Night Of The Crimson Thirst" CD

"Night of the Crimson Thirst" was recorded in winter 2017 / 2018

Nattsvargr is a band that has made themselves a bit of a name within the black metal community. Hailing from Sweden they have been formed in 2006 and beside some demos, EPs and splits they have so far released three full lengths. The latest one has been titled “Night of the Crimson Thirst”, and from the cover over the song titles to the very raw and traditional sound this album presents very much the essence of evil and pure black metal. What I really like about this one is while the sound is very classic it is not the kind of shitty-sounding lo-fi garage production that has always been en vogue within the scene. Dirty and rough yes, but also with enough clarity and power to make it possible to enjoy all the details and make this one a really satisfying experience not only for die-hard purists.
The coldness here is sterile and precise, yet the music feels lively and enthusiastic. The harsh wall of static guitar washes over throbbing bass as bits of noise skitter and crawl across the soundscape. The vocals by Noctir are ghostly and harsh, hovering over the instrumental cacophony, and what comes through sounds fierce and sinister. What is noticeable is the haunting presence of heavy reverb and hall effects cutting through, the only grasping bits of reality against the smothering wash of insanity.
It could be argued that many bands of the style are just repeating the same stuff over again, but there’s still enough to squeeze out of it if the style’s put into the right hands. We’re given plenty of the flavors of what makes the style interesting to begin with as Nattsvargr show a clear understanding of how to bring it all together wonderfully such that it fits together nicely, such that they all work off each other brilliantly.
The guitar harmonies are creating a unique atmosphere within each song, with Darklord showing that he is not only a great instrumentalist, but also has a natural feeling of how to build up tension and make the listener feel connected to the music. The rhythm section is also spot on, keeping pace with the tremolo runs and the riff attacks. Of course you are going to find some more aggressive parts, like heavy use of the cymbals and some double-drum action. However, I have not had the feeling of chaotic nervousness, with all elements being in place. Music like this is anyway not so much about technical showcasing and ultra-brutal battering.
In the end “Night of the Crimson Thirst” is nothing more than just another classic black metal album, but the songwriting is more than solid and everything has been done in the right way here. So in case you are looking for a nice slab of old school black metal look no further and give this one a try.

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