Den Saakaldte - All Hail Pessimism (2009)

Abrasive guitar chords, anguished screams rendered low in the mix, percussion that’s almost inaudible and extremely underproduced. That describes a lot of black metal, and Den Saakaldte are certainly one of the bleaker ones. Whereas some black metal bands play with intensity and speed, these guys don’t. This music has the requisite mood, but doesn't hit with as heavy a hand as this stuff can. This is a long album, and though black metal is a niche genre, the fact that this is over an hour of music that isn’t especially varied, will further limit their fanbase, but it’s more about mood than anything else, and this does what it does competently.

7.0 / 10

1349 - Liberation (2003)

It’s aggressive, performed with furiosity, but it’s also cookie-cutter black metal. The guitars buzz, the screams are demonic, the percussion is frantic, but it still somehow feels limp. I guess what bugs me about this is the raw production. Raw is often a good thing, but I also like to be able to hear the technicality of the guitars. Here, it’s all smothered together. I could play my guitar with intensity and speed, but I can’t play my guitar well with intensity and speed. So 1349 get points for their approach, but lose points for their aesthetic.

5.0 / 10