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Sargeist’s new album is called Let The Devil In, yet the front cover shows a full-on crucifix. Shouldn’t that keep the devil out? Aesthetic choices aside, Let The Devil In is about what you’d expect from members of two traditional Finnish black metal bands; an effective and straightforward bludgeoning in the style made famous by early Beherit and Gorgoroth. It’s played authentically and with sincerity and there’s no questioning Sargeist’s devotion to their chosen genre.
But this is a fairly long album and runs out of ideas quickly.
Let The Devil In starts strongly with the “Empire Of Suffering,” which leans on mid-'90s Darkthrone and reminded me of the powerful Gorgoroth song “Destroyer.” Hoath Torag’s vocals are strong here and the song leaves listeners with the call-to-arms feel that you want from the best black metal. “A Spell To Awaken The Temple,” has its moments but the album starts to feel redundant after the third track.
There’s nothing technically wrong with the music and it is played with enthusiasm and angst. Traditional black metal has never relied on inventiveness but as the genre enters its third decade even old-school bands like Sargeist – who have been around since the late '90s - should provide more to their listeners.
Black metal enthusiasts will enjoy Let The Devil In, and Sargeist is no way a second-rate black metal band. But the album suffers from something that’s too common in black metal these days: even the best executed material often sounds the same as what came before.
Feel free to let the devil in but have some blackened coffee first so you can get through the visit.
(released November 9, 2010 on Moribund Records)
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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