Review by Jeger on November 5, 2024.

If there was ever a near-perfect vision of what mainstream black metal should look and sound like, it would be Norway’s 1349 - a project realized with the creation of world-class music and genre dynamics in mind as opposed to heritage and culture. True black metal? That’s a slippery slope, as I’m of the mind that no true black metal project should venture where mainstream labels dare unless you’re Watain who are the only real exception in my book. But we’re not gathered here today to argue the legitimacy of 1349, only their talents and the listenability of their forthcoming LP, The Wolf & The King, October 4, 2024, release through Season Of Mist.

Torches, bonfires, and war paint to accompany some of Norway’s very best thrash-inspired black metal outside of the likes of Gorgoroth, Svarttjern, and Tsjuder is what you’ll find here, but not quite as intense as the output of 1349 past, a little more mid-tempo, something savory to help you digest all of this album’s many other flavors, from its many unpredictable time changes to its subtle melodic intricacies. 1349 have always been notorious for the momentum of their music, the velocity, and the speed, but as you take in the opening track, 'The God Devourer', and its follower, 'Ash Of Ages', it will be to a sense of delightful bewilderment, the sort of variety and the kind of texture that’s always been missing from this band’s recipe. Look who decided to do some fancy composing! Epic like Immortal yet as vicious and undeniably aggressive as only 1349 can be.

I’ve never been particularly impressed with Frost’s drumming and his contribution to The Wolf & The King is no exception, but I will say that at this tempo, his talents are a lot more apparent, as he’s afforded the opportunity to usher in each passage with more imagination: solid martial rhythms, some flamboyant cymbal work and a myriad of tom-rolling techniques to set the foundation for riffing patterns both concrete and elaborate in 'Inferior Pathways' - more of a classic 1349 earth-scorcher when compared to the gravity of 'Inner Portal' where the band continues on their newfound journey down accessibility’s path.

Fans of Taake or Gehenna should run like hell because this is black metal for the inferno and for death. Nothing warm or traditional, only cold steel a-glint by the light of the bonfire’s blaze and seething hatred to fuel the madness. 'The Vessel And The Storm' - another little something for the 1349 diehard - all that aforementioned momentum ensconced in all that aggression to remind you of why you started listening to this band in the first place.

Finally, something that feels like real fucking black metal. There’s an occult sense of ritualism to The Wolf & The King that’s generally missing from 1349’s music, particularly during the chilling closer, 'Fatalist', and slowing things down a bit has really opened some creative portals for this band to explore moving forward. With The Wolf & The King, 1349 take a huge leap forward as a collective into the realm of evil and it feels 100% genuine this time around. 1349 are one of the very best Norwegian black metal bands on paper and they’re finally living up to that notoriety with music that’s as wholesome as it is savage and blindingly adept. A black metal album for any and all is The Wolf And The King, not just for those who’ve become accustomed to 1349’s style like they have with the taste of Coca-Cola. The gates of Hell have swung open! New 1349 is just around the corner…

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Adam on January 3, 2003.

Every time I say that melodic death metal has nothing else to offer, a band like Soulscar comes out and makes me eat those very words. It is not the fact that these guys are doing anything too different, because to be quite honestly, they are not. However, Soulscar do show a hell of a lot of style on their debut album ”Character Assassin” that can only serve well in their progression on future releases.

Soulscar consists of two full-fledged members, Andrew Staehling and Brent Mackenzie, with the others listed as supporting players. Staehling handles guitar, vocals, and keyboards while Mackenzie takes care of bass and extra vocals. They play fairly straightforward melodic metal. At times it strays away from the melodic death style to venture into more traditional metal territory, which was refreshing to hear. The only complaints I have here are with the vocals. They almost sound like whispered screams if there is such a thing. After all this time of listening to this CD, I still have not gotten fully used to them; therefore, I hope next time around they concentrate more on that aspect.

Without a doubt the standout track on “Character Assassin” is ‘Sacrifices.’ I suggest that Soulscar explore the clean vocals on this song a bit more in the future as they really add a whole new dynamic to their sound. The atmospheric guitar leads evident on the song would also be another interesting thing to see the group expand upon. Throughout the CD you notice little things like this. They even stick in the occasional Viking-inspired leads, which really stick out on “Character Assassin” and make it more interesting to listen to. Little things like this could really work to set Soulscar apart from their contemporaries if continued to expand upon.

If you are into melodic metal then I would suggest you keep a close eye on Soulscar. They have the uncanny ability to go from melodic to traditional to thrash and back again and still keep their style intact. This style, however, is still in the teenage stage and showing some growing pains yet that is only natural. These guys just may blow me away with their next disc if they choose to expand and concentrate on certain aspects listed above. Only time will tell!

Bottom Line: A modest introduction for the band. Give them a shot. I see good things for the future!

Categorical Rating Breakdown:

Originality: 7
Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 6
Overall: 6.5

Rating: 6.5 out of 10