Review by Vanass on April 4, 2020.

Stridslysten is one of the best black metal releases of 2019. It is the full-length album of the Swedish band Skald in Veum, which I hope there will be many more of in the future. All in all, it is a significant improvement of the band's sound and technical skills compared to their EP 1260 Days, which admittedly were never bad from the beginning.

The opening and title track 'Stridslysten' simply impresses the listener with aggressive and absurdly fast riffs that we all love, with strong groovy elements in the further course of the song, all accompanied by very pleasant blast beats. It's exactly what you would expect from Swedish black metal, but this track exceeds even the most optimistic expectations with raw energy and incredible speed and sets the tone and atmosphere for the rest of the album. Most of the riffs on the whole album are played in fast tempo and are very atmospheric, but still remain in the domain of classic black metal. Of course, there are also some slower parts like the middle part of my favorite track 'As Wolves Among Sheep', which are only used to build up the atmosphere, but what really stands out are the black'n'roll riffs that pop up every now and then. The sound of the guitars is relatively clean due to the only slightly raw production. At least in the studio version, the drums sound incredible and fit perfectly to the music with inhuman precision. I don't doubt that with enough discipline and a healthy work ethic such a level of technical skill can be achieved, but Resh is credited for both the guitars and the drums, so I'm almost convinced that the drums or at least some parts of them have been programmed. This shouldn't bother anyone, because the composition as a whole is a masterpiece of modern black metal. If my doubts about Resh's drumming skills turn out to be wrong, I have to apologize to him personally. The bass was played by Zhajiin. Compared to their previous release, the bass sound is still strong, but a little weaker. One thing I love about this band is the fact that despite the strong atmospheric side of their music they still manage to sound "heavy", all thanks to Zhajiin's bass.

The overall atmosphere is dark and just full of rage. The lyrics are radical in the sense of modern norms and represent a way of thinking that I can definitely support and understand. Heth, probably the most mysterious figure in the whole unblack metal scene, was responsible for the lyrics, which still surprise me in a good way. I just hope that their message and their music will reach a wider audience in the future.

This band represents exactly what modern black metal bands sound and should be; orthodox black metal, fueled by pure anger about existing social norms and supported by strong ideals, capable of creating new musical landscapes on old foundations.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by ChadL on February 12, 2002.

Finland's Thyrane is a band that takes the symphonic black metal genre to its extremes. "Symphonies of Infernality" is an album seething with brutal, calculating hatred, and pure aggression.

After the obligatory classical intro, ‘In the shape of a Demon’ blasts through the speakers and crushes any hope you may have had of a peaceful listening experience. This song is six minutes of awesome, blasting black metal with a few slower passages thrown in to give the song an epic feel. The keyboards are used sparingly in this song, and heighten the atmosphere of the music when they are used.

‘Envenomed Suicide Angels’ is my personal favorite track. This song is non-stop fury all the way through, but it doesn’t get boring and monotonous. It is in this track that what I feel is really great about this band shines through: They can play so intensely for so long, but they keep it interesting the whole way through, unlike some bands whom after hearing the first blasting minute of the song, you know what the next four will sound like. Blastmor's drum skills really deserve special mention in this, as they are constantly changing rhythm, but never losing their awesome power, and never losing touch with the rest of the instruments.

While "Symphonies of Infernality" is a raging symphonic black metal album (kinda like Dimmu Borgir on speed), it’s not without it's faults. Aside from some of the song titles being very cheesy, the keyboards often bothered me. While there are some great passages on here, there were many-a-times when I found myself wishing the keyboards would just stop because they were taking away from the awesome music going on beneath them because they were too high in the mix. I think that the main problem is that they use too many choir effects on the keyboards, which have been done by so many bands, it’s impossible to sound interesting and original, and it even gets annoying from time to time. This band definitely sounds its best when the keyboards are lower in the mix and the aggression is more in your face.

Bottom Line: A killer album by a great band. If you like fast, aggressive black metal with some synths, you'll like this. Like I said above, if they laid off the keyboards in some spots it would be great, but this album still rules.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 8
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10