Description
Swedish pressed music cassette. Red cassette with black text. Limited 50 copies
A new Ofermod album is always a big deal. These purveyors of Swedish black metal (along with such acts as Marduk, Ondskapt, Watain, and the irreplaceable Dissection) have been cranking out music since 1996. Yet, Sol Nox is only their third full-length. Though delayed by incarcerations and gang-related activities, the band has managed to release some of the genre’s best records. Twenty-twelve’s Thaumiel, and, though, that was only a four-year wait following their debut, we’ve had to endure another five years waiting for Sol Nox. Tiamtu was a great debut, but Thaumiel topped it. And now the question remains: will Sol Nox top Thaumiel? Well… we’ll get to that. But, one thing is for sure; Thaumiel and Sol Nox are two different beasts. While Thaumiel‘s opener, “Sisters of Rapture and Pestilence,” combines everything from graveling black-metal rasps to heart-pounding riffs, exotic drum patterns, and agonizing melodies, Sol Nox‘s “The Alpha of the Omega” is a true-blue black-metal number that’ll crack your anvil. There are plenty of sweeping tremolos and melodic sections on Sol Nox, but nothing like there was on Thaumiel. And that’s Sol Nox in a nutshell. It’s aggressive black metal, with big fucking vocals, even bigger riffs, and wispy clouds of emotion. It’s dark, it’s mean, it’s beautifully satanic, and it’ll cut chasms through your pathetic, happy-go-lucky heart. So, do I think Sol Nox is better than Thaumiel? No. But, it’s not far off. Because of their differing approaches, they become difficult to compare. Which is fantastic if we have to keep waiting half a decade for a new record. Thaumiel is a fuller album from beginning to end, while Sol Nox is a thirty-five-minute journey into hate and violence. So, if you’re looking for something to whet your black-metal appetite and drive away the summer sun, Ofermod is fucking it.
Track list:
1. The Alpha Of The Antichrist
2. The Awakening
3. Smaiut N Set
4. Sol Nox
5. Sun Of Dead Seasons
6. El-Ehra – The Thistle Creed
7. To Dare The Tower