Description
With Patronymicon we enter the realms of Swedish Black Metal once again. Marduk and Dissection are the first and the biggest names that come to mind within seconds, seminal and overshadowing. Marduk is still a measure as far as extremity is concerned, for their raging full speed attack Panzerdivsion Marduk. And the influence of Dissection on the contemporary Black Metal scene can not be overestimated for sure. Some say Marduk haven’t really met the quality of the aforementioned album again, and we all know what happened to Jon Nodtveidt. So there is a void to fill and Patronymicon are ready to do so. With their second album All Daggers Towards The Sky they are on a very good way. And they combine the best of the flagships of their local scene. After the instrumental opener Balamuthia Mandrillaris a storm sets in, called World Closure, that would have fitted on the first two Dissection albums as well. The parallels to Jon Nodtveidt’s understanding of how Black Metal should sound can’t be denied, since Patronymicon mastermind N.Sadist has a similar tendency to write longer and variable songs which need melodies and guitar harmonies as a special ingredient. Just listen to the pretty long Mourning Cold with it’s guitar work in the best tradition of Dissection. A pretty fine one as well, even though it also reminds me of Watain in the beginning. The Great Pestilence runs you down in the same manner. Fortifications Failed and Unleash Hells Fire (another longer song) even play with rhythms and guitar elements in best classic Metal tradition without leaving the world of the black. In the end, this band surprised me with Age Of Contamination, that is rooted in classic and Thrash Metal a little more, with moments that even remind of the almighty Mercyful Fate. But again, a certain main influence can’t be denied. The more I listen to All Daggers Towards The Sky, the more I like it. And I just wanted to label them as a Dissection clone after the first hearing. So if you need more Swedish black metal in your life then this is a good place to start
Track list:
1. Balamuthia Mandrillaris
2. World Closure
3. Fortifications Failed
4. The Great Pestilence
5. Mourning Cold
6. Unleash Hells Fire
7. Age Of Contamination