Beastcraft

Baptised in Blood and Goatsemen

Black Seed Productions 2008

On their third try Norway's black metal traditionalists, Beastcraft have finally made a connection with me.  Extremely raw and primitive, Baptised in Blood and Goatsemen is the essence of what "true Norwegian Black Metal" embodies.  11 songs of bestial devil worship are what you will find on this album.  The music bears a strong resemblance to other primitive Norwegian merchants such as Urgehal and Gorgoroth.  This is not too much of a shock since Nefas(urgehal) is a member of this unholy congregation.  The first two tracks are exercises in filthy black metal harshness.  But by track three, Enthronement of the Third Antichrist, the cold Nordic melodies have taken over the music.  A mid-tempoed declaration of devilish intent, Beastcraft Manifest shudders from dissonant riffs and caustic vocals courtesy of Sorath Northgrove.  At times this song reminds me of Darkthrone's Under a Funeral Moon.  This connection is further enhanced on Circle of Evocation as it blasts and light-raping speed and the guitars howl with hollow depth and blasphemous fuzz.  Blackwinged Messiah, another dissonant mid-tempoed demon, ushers in an aura of sorrow and melancholy through mournful melodies and despondent bass-lines.  The album's closer, The Beast Awakens treads a similar path with epic baleful riffs crackling with electrified fuzz and mournful notes from the bass guitar.  While I was unimpressed by the first two outings of Beastcraft, Baptised in Blood and Goatsemen really hit home.  Conjuring parallels in style and sound with Darkthrone's UAFM as well as other members of the early 90s style/sound/scene this album is the incarnation of insensitive and uncompromising satanic black metal art.  The Beast truly has awakened!