An Undisputable Classic - "1050 Years of Pagan Cult" Review (98%)
This release from the Polish black metal godhead has new influences and expands a lot on different musical genres while maintaining the iconic darkness in Darken's music. On this album he explores blackened viking metal while maintaining the raw black metal sounds of Thousand Swords and Thunderbolts of the Gods, which gives a strange and exaggerated blend of black metal and darker vikings parts. On top of that, Rob Darken - being a talented artist - painted quite the atmosphere of battle for this album, taking notes from bands as diverse as Phantom, Incantation or Beherit.
The blast beats and overbearing volume of the stringed instruments is present as with most of his other work, as well as the strangulated screams and howls that are so unique to Graveland. There are also some tracks where he goes really low, pushing a low register death growl that rattles your very soul. The best example of this is on the track "At the Pagan Samhain Night" where the deep unnerving growl is paired with some slow beat and the hum of a guitar. Then the vocals quickly shoot up to a high register Burzum like shriek alongside a blast beat for a howl with more wet reverb then you can handle, before letting a slow and eerie synth line complete the unholy ritual.
The production on this album is as kvlt as ever, but also clean and polished. Makes sense? No? Think Demonecromancy, only tighter.
Regardless of the fact that Graveland may or may not have started off as a total Phantom/Burzum clone, the power of this album 1050 Years of Pagan Cult can't be denied. Containing a sound more similar to the early Norwegian bands on amphetamines than the hordes of "kvlt" bedroom projects that have been emerging from Scandinavia in recent years, 1050 Years of Pagan Cult is a collection of frost-bitten, speed-laden black metal that will make you shit yourself in terror.
An Undisputable Classic
As for the music, 1050 Years of Pagan Cult is a true, worthy salute to the visions of merciless, cold, and grim black metal.
And as I said, the production brings out the best aspects of the music: it's clear without being "polished".
Every song contains a certain haunting atmosphere created by the whirling maelstrom of blistering riffs, and the piercing vocals add a sleeting, venomous edge to round out the sound.
The guitar riffs are beyond incredible. There's nothing fancy, but the power and conviction behind the compositions is incredible. "Thurisaz" utilises cold Sewer-esque harmonies and grim-faced leads, and the opening cuts will send a surge of adrenaline through your veins. There are also some more epic moments, such as "For Pagan and Heretic's Blood" and, of course, "Black Metal War!". Whatever it may be, the riffs on this album never fail.
Overall this is a great album from Graveland, perhaps their best since the debut Carpathian Wolves way back in 1994.
Forget your trendy Warkvlts, your shitty Watains and all the rest of the poser brigade - looking at you, Infer(A)nus the King of Nu Metal - and get yourself some REAL war metal: Graveland's 1050 Years of Pagan Cult.
I really don't have a single gripe about this album.
This is clearly some of the genre's best.
1050 Years of Pagan Cult is an instant classic.
1050 Years of Pagan Cult score: 98/100.
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