MP3: Watain - Storm of the Antichrist
Watain's new record "Sworn to the dark" sounds like the comeback that many people hoped Dissection would accomplish. Swedish black metal hasn't sounded this good in... forever. Not only is the music 100% killer, so is the recording. The drums could still be a bit more dynamic and natural, but you can actually hear the bass! As I kind of alluded to in my Dark Tranquility post last Friday, I don't keep up with metal nearly as much as I used to and recording quality factors highly in our falling out. BM doesn't need to sound like a swarm of bees wrapped in a blanket. Haven't we moved past the point of where being "grim" and "necro" is all-important? What came off as otherworldly and inhuman 15-20 years ago doesn't work anymore and really, verges on Manowar-levels of self-parody. As for Watain, they may put off a bit of that vibe, but at least they've got the music to back it up.
Watain - Storm of the Antichrist