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ALBUM REVIEW
- Sammath - Triumph in Hatred
- Apollon Records
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- I’m probably not alone in being
largely unconcerned for the superficial elements of an album release anymore (that’ll
happen when you receive so much music in cardboard sleeves, or in bits and bytes), but
even to my jaded eyes, Sammath’s fourth album is a thing of extreme beauty, thanks to
some luscious artwork by Tony Koehl. If your gaze should lead your hand in this case, too,
you’ll be far from disappointed; “Triumph
in Hatred” builds on this Dutch act’s previous promise in the best possible
way, sounding like a logical extension to 2006’s “Dodengang”, yet outstripping it
effortlessly.
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- Sammath perpetrate a type of black
metal war that is shockingly heavy; you may be physically knocked back by the force of
opener “Blood”. They are raw, raging,
icy, churning and at times barely under control, although given how many years songwriter
Jan Kruitwagen has been sharpening this particular axe, I think it’s fair to assume
this ‘edge of the abyss’ approach is entirely intentional, which to be honest
makes it all the more gobsmacking. “Burn in
the Fires of Hell” is a good pick for explaining exactly what mayhem is being
enacted here; extremely rasping vocals lead into brain-pummelling black metal, with
churning leads and the type of squealing solo work that blatantly doesn’t give a fuck
for the listener’s sensibilities. The rhythms have a real death-thrash feel to them,
which just ramps up the aggression, and are underpinned by some pretty creative percussive
work.
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- There are plenty of other explosive
guitar moments to be had, particularly on “Blazing
Storm of Steel”, which begins low and messy but soon ascends in complexity to
form a maelstrom of sound. Amidst the rage, however, there are plenty of strong, graspable
riffs, and a tendency to weave grim melody into the most unexpected of corners. This
slackens the violence and density not one jot, but it does allow the brain to some
interesting angles through which to attempt to understand this aural siege.
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- The aggressive and unfriendly
approach to melody, alongside the truly inventive melding of guitar styles rather than a
dependence on Nordic ideals, are two factors that contribute greatly to the freshness of
this album, and the near physical effect it can have on the listener. “Triumph In Hatred” is uncompromising and
bleak, without ever having to resort to cliché. It’s an excellent piece of writing,
coupled nastily with a vociferous performance – if you want to think outside the
Scandinavian/US bedroom box, this is the band with which you should get into a
knife-fight.
- 81/100
- Ellen Simpson
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- www.myspace.com/sammath666
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