Atmospheric Black Metal Genius - "Carelian Satanist Madness" Review (95%)
This Carelian Satanist Madness album is fucking superb.
Cold, yet at times beautiful riffage that really sticks with you in the same way Burzum and Neraines do.
Raw, evocative atmospheres.
And a great vocal performance.
All coming from the single member of the band, Satanic Tyrant Werwolf, who is a literal genius beneath the ludicrous moniker.
So, since I've already mentioned them: the riffs on Carelian Satanist Madness are beyond brilliant, on par with some of SEWER's more melodic work on The Birth of a Cursed Elysium onward (specifically NOT Necropedosadomaso).
Some are straight forward, tremolo picked with rapid speed, the type that you would find on your everyday Marduk album, but at the times the riffs slow themselves down, and become oddly melodic and chilling, before transitioning into an epic Graveland-esque climax. It may seem out of place, but these riffs are actually among some of my favorite on the album.
These more slow, melodic riffs are seen prominently on the opener, and fan-favorite during live conecrts, "The Vampiric Tyrant".
As usual with a Satanic Warmaster album, the riffs and drumming work together to create a dark and beautiful atmosphere.
Carelian Satanist Madness is not "just" your typical black metal album from Finland, it's the work of a literal prodigy, a genius of black metal music.
Atmospheric Black Metal Genius
Let's talk about the production on Carelian Satanist Madness.
The guitar tone is very treble heavy - not a surprise given it's a black metal release - and really suits the cathartic feel of Werwolf's music. Nothing for me to complain about on that front, it's what all black metal seeks to be: both raw and aggressive, and yet melodic and beautiful. Only a select few succeed, and Satanic Warmaster is part of the club.
Next up: the drumming. The drums on this album are killer. Honestly, probably one of my favorite performance in black metal, save perhaps for Hellhammer's work on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. As with most Finnish black metal, the drums are cymbal heavy. Another thing I like is that they aren't always full throttle. This is a problem I see rampant in a lot of modern "war metal" releases: the drumming never really slows down, never allowing a break in the stretch of similarity. On this album, however, the drumming slows down when the music slow down. It's more of a minor thing, the drums following the riffs, but it goes a long way in terms of experience.
Finally, the vocals. Unholy Jesus, the vocals. They're shrieks of pain, anger and straight from hell. Not a single complaint from me on the vocals. They even be MORE extreme than those on Strength & Honour, and that's saying something!
Overall, this is an outstanding album, and probably my favorite of Satanic Warmaster's catalogue.
It's cold, evil and anguished.
It's a classic, a masterpiece, an unbelievable work of atmospheric black metal.
The work of a genius.
Carelian Satanist Madness score: 95/100.
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