Review AVMAKT “Satanic Inversion of”

A band from Norway will release their debut album “Satanic Inversion of” these days. The group is called Avmakt, and the guys behind the name are well known musicians in the Norwegian black metal scene. Avmakt is the brainchild of Kristian Valbo and Christoffer Bråthen, both known for their work in bands like Obliteration, Aura Noir and Gauge.

Avmakt’s first studio album contains six songs that reflect Norwegian oldschool extreme metal, going back to the punkish roots of the genre. Taking the lead is “Sharpening Blades of Cynimsm,” a 10-minute riff inferno with a mesmerizing vibe. Raging parts and hypnotic repetitions, kept in a slower tempo, are the engine of this sinister masterpiece.

The music of this project is always close to chaos, but never crosses the borders. It is rather the grim expression of hellish sounds, perfectly presented by an almost primitive approach to music and production. “Satanic Inversion of” is a record that is certainly not overproduced. It is rather the opposite. Avmakt release a very simple album without any frills. It is a blackened sound that will give you the shivers through ice-cold riffs that would make hell freeze over.

From the longest track to the shortest. “Poison Reveal” is still more than five minutes long and is a blazing fast black metal inferno, which is also the lead single of the album. A merciless beat, high speed riffing and barking vocals are the three pillars of this evil metal blast.

A little bit slower is how “Charred” gets your eardrums in a tizzy. Entering the territory of doom, Avmakt show another angle of their interpretation of black metal, which refers to bands like Darkthrone and the earlier Bathory. To break the pattern, however, the band adds a break to this song when they dramatically change gears in the second half. Leaving the misanthropic soundscape of doom, the band adds a metallic outburst that dominates the second half of this 7-minute ode to the abyss.

“Satanic Inversion of” is an oldschool album in the best meaning of the word. It is a journey back to the early days of Scandinavian black metal. It’s music that has this anarchic spirit, also enforced by the very simple and rather primitive sound. Still, “Satantic Inversion of” doesn’t sound bad, but at least my ears had to get used to this musical time travel. This album has that little extra that makes Avmakt stand out from the mass of new releases. This album stares at you with a fierce smile and you like it.