Urgehal 

Goatcraft Torment

Agonia Records 2006
 

"This is Satanic Black metal!"  A truer description may never have been uttered in regards to the new album from one of the very few Norwegian bands still holding high the banner of "True Norwegian Black Metal" such as it existed in its underground incarnation.  One Urgehal's latest opus they have stripped back out the thrash elements they had incorporated for their last couple albums and vomited forth an album of pure black bile.  Though I really liked what they had been doing on Atomkinder and Through Thick Fog til Death, I feel this album exudes a overwhelming sense of confidence from masters who are comfortable in both their role and their stylistic capabilities.  The atmosphere is so ferocious as exhibited by the demonic hellfire of Risus Sardonius.  I feel that Urgehal are at their best when they are devastating the listener with the distinctive disharmonic Norwegian riffing such as on  the bloodfreezing Selvmordssalme, Dodsmarj Til Helvete, and the opening passages of Nefastus Nex Necis.  It really brings to mind the early days when the Norwegian scene possessed so much fire.  Plus they certainly know how to batter out a headbanging, goat horns in the air sort of metal riff like on Satanic Black Metal from Hell.  And speaking of that song there is an awesome guitar solo that was so unexpected on that track.  Man, that solo buried me with pleasant surprise.  The production on this album is characteristically cold yet it sounds so much fuller than any of their previous releases and adds a ton of weight to the whole album.  Goatcraft Torment represents Urgehal's most mature and well craft album to date and failure doesn't seem possible to my ears when it comes to writing an album that obliterates all within its path.  Urgehal are the true kings of the Norwegian Underground.  "Norsk Satanisk Black Metal!!!!!!"