Sammath - Dodengang

\r\nSammath is a dutch band and this is their third release. Their music could be described as militant black metal and the lineup is consisted only by two people, J. Kruitwagen on guitars, vocals, bass and Koos Bos on drums. "Dodengang", as the cover with heads and tanks and the song titles let us assume, it’s about topics of war and death. It starts with the intro "To Hell", a short introduction that very quickly turns into the actual first song of the album "Ravager". The track begins with a rather unusual riff, very aggressive with devastating black metal blasts. Next song "Dodengang" is overspread by suffocating blackness with an initial sinister and melodic atmosphere which interplays with a violent, fastidious and incisive groove and a furious aggression before it turns into a battlefield with various samples of machine guns and granates. "Ashes to Ashes" features in the majority of its length typical fast and enraged black metal parts with a nice bridge of frantic double-bass and a blistering riffage that is characterized by enmity and ill will. "Imminence War Death" remains in the same tempo with an agitated bass line and increasingly thriving guitar scales under the vehemence and the savagery of Anaal Nathrakh. And the war battle continues with the track "Stalingrad" that it’s blasting viciousness and eerie melody are functioning side by side delivering an eminent hellish feeling. "Oblivion" possesses some of the sluggish passages in the album with melodic transitions without the track losing its sheer energy. "Merciless", the last song of the album starts with a mid paced rhythm and the bass is setting off in some random temporary hookups while the song is shifting between some almost doomish and fast, raw and intense moments, adorned by blatant and violent riffs. Generally this album is diverse black metal with a raw sound while a great deal of the music is supported by melodies, building up an intense atmosphere. The vocals are demonic and malicious and somewhat reminiscent to Abigor but the only problem is that they sound a little low in the mix. The drumming delivers an exceptional output, strong and powerful and varied between solid mid paced runs and destructive blast beat passages compounding both maximum speed with intellectual depth while the guitar scales are rapid and crispy with a continuous barrage of violent riffs and the bass lines are often audible with a deep, long, rolling sound. Breezing between early Marduk and Mayhem this uncompromised and nihilistic black metal release could be a well worthy addition to your cd collection. \r\n

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\r\nVaso "Necromass" Prassa \r\n

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