CD review NAGLFAR ‘Celecloth’

It is countless years ago that Naglfar released their latest studio album. ‘Téras’ escaped the purgatory in 2012 and since then there was not much new material of Naglfar’s Swedish Black Metal to be heard. This is changing right now, because with ‘Cerecloth’ a new record is in the starting blocks. Naglfar’s seventh album to date.

Naglfar’s seventh album contains nine songs, another eardrum- attack on the ear. ‘Cerecloth’ contains pretty much everything a well-crafted black metal album should offer. Hoarse vocals, raging guitars and an oppressive atmosphere is what this album brings to the plate, prepared to hit the ball out out of the ballpark. As if they were in the middle of a hellish crossfire, the Swedish trio is firing a wide range of sounds at the audience.

The title track is also the starting point for this musical inferno, a start with breathless speed and uncompromising hardness. ‘Horns’ is a bit slower, but also convincing with merciless depth, while the following ‘Like Poison for the Soul’ builds on bigger sound structures. These three songs represent the album quite well and if you don’t like ‘Cerecloth’ by then there is a risk that you will not enjoy the rest either. Songs like the extremely fast ‘The Dagger in Creation’ are furious black metal outbursts that reflect the whole intensity of this music direction. Naglfar’s music is extreme, but the guys never lose control of what is happening.

Cerecloth’ is vicious and at the same time it reveals a musical elegance that is also reflected in the melodic solo part. Nagflar make a strong impression with their new studio album, something that was not to be expected after eight years.