After three highly acclaimed albums Envoy Of Lucifer represents the fourth and last full-length of NIFELHEIM.
Originally released in 2007, the album is certainly the most professional out of the bunch. Benefitting from a rather clean all-analogue production and many years as musicians under their belts the record, most notably, surprises with intricate arrangements, proficient guitar solos and the introduction of new elemts to NIFELHEIM`s sound.
Hellbutcher`s and Tyrant`s lifelong worship of IRON MAIDEN has never been more apparent than on Envoy Of Lucifer too.
Despite all this, the album is still 100 % NIFELHEIM with all of their trademarks from previous releases intact.
For this re-release Envoy of Lucifer has been been mastered at the correct speed for the first time.
Therefore the album can finally be listened to how it was orginally supposed to sound.
Black tape with a 4 panel j-card. Limited to 300 copies.
Apart from being the constant core of Swedish black/thrash stalwarts Nifelheim, brothers Pelle and Erik Gustavsson, AKA Hellbutcher and Tyrant, are known as two of the world's biggest Iron Maiden fans. And while this influence has always been visible in their work, nowhere is it more apparent than on "Envoy Of Lucifer." There's still plenty of the raw barbarism that they've always had, but it's a bit more refined and ambitious here. There's more of an emphasis on guitar leads, and the solos are a bit more traditional, sounding a little more like Dave Murray and a little less like Quorthon. This move towards a more traditional metal-influenced sound works out in their favor, as it gives the songs a bit more catchiness and memorability. "Storm Of The Reaper" is easily one of Nifelheim's most memorable songs for these reasons. Based around a foreboding, chiming lead guitar riff, it also features one of Hellbutcher's best vocal performances on the album. The guitar tone is also a bit more atmospheric and less direct, filling out the sound nicely. Even the bass takes a more melodic role, unsurprising seeing how Tyrant has made no secret of his adoration for Steve Harris. For once the lyrics are actually somewhat discernible, although it's largely just black metal buzzwords like "Satan," "evil," and so on.
But there's still plenty of the aggression and misanthropy that we've come to know and love. Hellbutcher sounds as aggressive and hateful as he always has, and the fast tempos and forceful drumming adds an extra layer of power to the music. Songs like "Evil Is Eternal" and "Claws Of Death" call to mind the first few Nifelheim albums, and I mean that in the best way possible. "Belial's Prey" is a straightforward black/thrash tune that leans more to the thrash side of the spectrum, reminiscent of Aura Noir or Celtic Frost. This song is one of the weaker points on the album, however, and there's not much that stands out about it. The same can also be said for "No More Life," but it has a nice classic metal feel to it, with an almost bluesy stomp in the beginning. The drum intro wouldn't sound too out of place on "British Steel."
Personally, I really enjoy that Nifelheim gave into their more melodic side on this album, and that they continued in this direction somewhat on their 2014 EP "Satanas." They may not always be the most original band, or the most innovative, but they know how to pay tribute to the legends while putting enough of their own spin on it to keep things interesting. If regular black metal is too noisy or unmelodic, "Envoy Of Lucifer" is a pretty damn good album to check out.
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