Black Messiah

Oath of a Warrior
Einheit Produktionen

11 tracks; 56:57

I had never heard of these guys before, so it's been an unexpected treat for me to discover such an all around great band. Oath of a Warrior is BLACK MESSIAH's second release since their debut almost a decade ago and it's clear that a lot of creativity and work has gone into this epic slab of metal. Bold and triumphant, this album is a breath of fresh air that's much needed in a metal scene overrun with stale mediocrity.

True to the spirit of Viking Metal, the lyrical content here centers around Pagan themes; although, some of the lyrics are in German, so I dunno what they're talking about there. Equally true to the heritage of Viking Metal, this band retains a solid, traditional Black Metal sound (including a heavy layer of keyboards and therefore, of course, lots of synthetic choral voices). This approach has been augmented beautifully with real violins and mandolins (played by the lead singer), however, giving the band its Scandinavian folk music edge. Some of the songs pick up folksy melodies and rhythms, as well, developing a style reminiscent of Finntroll or Ensiferum.

While this release is bulky, with almost an hour of play, there are plenty of stylistic shifts that go far to prevent listener burnout. Black Metal vocals, for instance, are shaken up at times with foreign language spoken words and at other times with clean, female vocals. Furthermore, the compositions alone are consistently so creative, melodic and intelligent that even the most ADD-affected listener shouldn't find himself becoming too edgy before the final track winds down.

Going forward, I hope that the Metal community at large does not overlook BLACK MESSIAH and their highly original personality. Do yourself a favor and add this hammer-forged blade to your metal arsenal.

Regan Perlett