NAGLFAR

Release Year: 2023
Artist Origin: SWE
Style: hellish harmonious blackened death metal

formed in Umeå in 1992, this notorious entity marched alongside the new wave of melodic death metal with In Flames, Eucharist and Dark Tranquillity, yet from the earliest recordings a much darker, blackened, minor-key direction was far more prominent in their sound, while this ten-track debut full-length [1995] unveiled a harsh, chilling vision where cold harmonies, piercing tremolo riffs and relentless rhythms merge into an exceptionally cohesive stream of extreme metal, while Jens Rydén’s harsh vocals further emphasize the menace, despair and profound beauty of compositions, as harmonious death metal becomes infected with black metal nihilism, with memorable guitar motifs, furious climaxes and subtly atmospheric arrangements giving rise to one of the most striking gems of early Swedish extreme metal; recent German three panel digipak edition comes with a remastered sound, additional 12th Rising version off 1996's demo, and extensive liner notes in sixteen page booklet