The storm of death and destruction blowing from Canada shows no signs of slowing down. While many were curious about what shape Revenge would take without Helmkamp in the lineup—and this curiosity was only fueled further by a few short teaser samples—the end result turned out to be exactly what it should be: total annihilation. Naturally, no one was truly surprised. Revenge picks up right where they left off, and it’s clear they are hell-bent on adding new bricks to the fortress of hatred they’ve built with such dedication over the years.
There’s absolutely no need to play Captain Obvious and explain the Revenge sound from scratch here. We’re obviously dealing with a legendary album that could be dissected for pages, but for die-hard fans, it doesn’t hold any shocking surprises. Once again, we’re treated to those deep, dense guitar tones, scorching bass, trademark ancestor-crushing Revenge drumming, and vocals that sound like they’re bellowing straight from the lowest pit of hell. Revenge still has zero interest in forests, mountains, castles, or any kind of troo-kid theatrics. Their connection to that world remains firmly nonexistent.
This 35:44-minute hell internship stands as a masterpiece of how true Black Metal should be executed—at a level no mere mortal could ever reach. Anyone claiming otherwise can be thrown straight into the flames, preferably accompanied by “Banner Degradation.” The year 2012 still has nine months left, but it’s hard to imagine any album coming close to this one. (If anyone could do it, maybe Necroholocaust—come on, unleash it already!)
10/10