Album review: Hladomrak “Archaic Sacrifice”
Stockholm-based black metal band Hladomrak returns with a new album full of splendid chaos and darkness.
“Archaic Sacrifice” is Hladomrak’s third full-length album since this excellent black metal band was formed a decade ago in Stockholm, Sweden. Guitarist Evgenerator is the brain and driving force behind this band and at times this has been a one-man band. On this album, Evgenerator is joined by Nils “Dominator” Fjellström (Nordjevel, ex-Dark Funeral) on drums, Dipa on bass and Talon on vocals. Hladomrak’s music is chaotic and constantly in-your-face like an angry bee attacking you. Dangerous and annoying at the same time. I love it. Hladomrak has a raw, natural and unpolished nerve to its music, a bit of an underground feeling. Some of black metal’s biggest bands nowadays have too polished productions. Hladomrak is different. There are plenty of death metal vibes throughout the album. At times this sounds like black metal played by a grindcore band (just listen to splendidly furious tracks like “Fozforos Insignia” or “I Zinew”). The roughness and the chaos make this terrific music for those of us who dig extreme music. This is music created in darkness. The sun doesn’t shine where this brutal music was made. “Tiethu’m” is a favourite among the album’s eight tracks. Another is “Saith”, a runaway freight-train kind of song. This exquisite album of cold darkness is relentless, it just keeps pummelling the listener. It’s beautiful chaos and mayhem.
Hladomrak’s album “Archaic Sacrifice” will be released on 10th September via Non Serviam Records.
