NUCLEAR BLAST Uppsala’s black metal torchbearers host an incendiary uprising
WATAIN’S UNWAVERING COMMITMENT to sonic extremity, combined with their transcendent live show, has helped to establish them as the preeminent force in today’s black metal scene, though not without controversy. In 2018, touring member Set Teitan stepped away from the band when photos emerged of him performing a Nazi salute. It was another black eye for a subgenre seeking to distance itself from such problematic behaviours.
On their latest, Watain resume their impious evolution, though the growth is subtle. Ecstasies In Night Infinite announces the album’s murderous intent with a firestorm of blastbeats and buzzsaw riffs, building to a dizzying, Slayer-esque solo. The Howling and Before The Cataclysm tap into wavelengths of such unrelenting malice that they seem to channel the very fires of Hell, serenaded by Erik Danielsson’s raw, blistering vocals. The influence of Dissection continues to ride on Watain’s shoulders like a hateful, coal-eyed raven, particularly on tracks like Black Cunt. throws sand in the face of
