Black cassette with silver/grey print-on. Limited to 50 copies and comes with foldout j-card.
Created in 1993, Svartsyn has gone through several iterations, even subtle stylistic changes, with the last 3 albums to date, in my opinion, unifying its current, quite distinctive style, initiated by this album, "In Death," released in 2017. It is said to be inspired by a personal experience lived by Ornias, but I'll let you research that if needed, as we are focusing here on the work itself.
And it's no less than a slap in the face. Period.
However, few black metal albums are this balanced: the whole gives a real impression of mastery, even work and reflection, while simultaneously anchoring itself in an unspeakable chaos, a terribly remarkable intensity. Every aspect seems terribly sincere, spontaneous - although clearly very seriously worked on. It's mystical, it's dense, it's dark. You actually DO FEEL something. And that's rare enough to be highlighted. Something is happening, there are emotions, meaning, it's a dark and terrible experience.
In terms of production, we have the best of both worlds here: power, balance between the instruments, rich vocal work, a distinctive rendering of all the elements, all within a kind of raw, intense, violent maelstrom.
Similarly, it's as monotonous as it is melodic, as direct as it is subtle. Heavy riffs stand alongside piercing tremolos, the drums are impeccably controlled and recorded, but at no point do they veer towards technical showmanship à la Mgła; they serve, like each of the elements, a coherent and remarkably effective whole. The vocal work is just as striking: it's cavernous, it's frightening, it's sometimes even desperate. An impression of a possessed spirit. Literally. The coherence and unity of the work also come through the lyrics, resolutely in line with the album title and the sonic experience it conveys. At no point are the melodies scattered here and there weak or out of place with the overall violence; they carry it through a recurring touch of unsettling melancholy.
Death, darkness and the occult are omnipresent, in both form and substance. It's piercing, repetitive at times, even monotonous, but never soft, never boring. From the opening track, "Seven Headed Snake" (no introduction, no build-up, the tone is set immediately, a massive riff, repeated relentlessly) to "Exile in Death" (the perfect final point to such an odyssey, proof that even the track order was carefully considered and contributes to the overall effectiveness), we are taken on a journey into something as powerful as it is despairing.
There is an allegory of the forces of evil here: they surround us, frighten us, overwhelm us, yet we take pleasure in letting ourselves be carried away in their torrent of horror. Undeniably a masterpiece of the genre.
Sample: youtube.com/watch?v=5pNjYqiPMoM
