Svartsyn
Wrath Upon the Earth

March 2011
Released: 2011, Agonia Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Luxi Lahtinen

Formed by Ornias in 1991 under the name of Chalice, and changing the band name to Svartsyn in 1993, this sinister, grim and cult-ish Swedish black metal horde has wandered a long path, to talk about all the wrath upon on earth, which also happens to be the title of Svartsyn´s sixth studio album in order.



WRATH UPON THE EARTH, containing 7 songs + an intro, is a pretty twisted sounding cavalcade of atmospheric and mostly really damn fast-paced black metal that goes through any bunker´s wall with destructive firepower like a Jericho missile. Ornias, the original founding member of the band - along with his two new session members, Zoran on bass and Baruch on drums, have managed to record an album that puts many other hordes of the same ink to shame, using skilfully yet cleverly some of the best ingredients black metal as its own single genre, has to offer. Keeping it grim, cold and satanic while at the same time wrapping it all in beautifully dark atmospheres, have undoubtedly been the main theme words for the Svartsyn horde to open the doors into their own twisted realm on WRATH UPON THE EARTH.



The songs simply work – and knowing Svartsyn have already got a bunch of few killer under their belts – like their previous album titled TIMELESS REIGN that was released by Carnal Records in 2007, their latest one is probably their best, most refined and most enjoyable work so far in my opinion. Ornias, when proving to be a superior song and lyric writer and awesome vocalist with his Martin Van Drunen-like throat-y growls, both new guys in the Svartsyn ranks, prove to be the men to separate the flesh from the bones – I mean, metaphorically speaking at least.



With songs like viciously fast-forward moving and calories burning “Wrath of Leviathan” and “My Mountain” – and a majestically ripping “Blood Temple”, WRATH UPON THE EARTH is an album not to be dismissed. Now let there be more wrath upon the earth - provided by the Swedish unceremoniously praised satanic commandos of Svartsyn respectively...