Pagan Black – Acta Infernalis

Asenheim’s conquest continues. Created in 2004 under the name Sins of Desire, changed in 2006 by Tiwaz (vocals/guitar/bass/keyboards, Eisenkult) and since joined by Valfor (drums/keyboards, Atronos, Mavorim, Totenwache), the band now unveils its ninth album, Wolkenbrecher.

Einklang – Blut und Eisen opens with martial tones borrowed from early Pagan/Folk, but the cutting melodies and furious vocal parts return on Der Harnischmacher. The vocalist’s aggressiveness contrasts with the keyboards, which soothe the atmosphere or making it more playful at times, but the dirty mix retains the dark Old School approach, as on the epic Im Zwielicht (Der Mantel der Dämmerung). The almost festive tones didn’t foreshadow the return of such oppressive vocals, but clear backing vocals make the moment almost comforting before charging back to Mein Königreich, where slowness and pagan touches re-emerge. Dark forces are sure to corrupt the soothing sonorities and turn this track into a war anthem, but the anger subsides with Ein letzter Gruß, a melancholic heady instrumental creation that allows us to catch our breath. Zu den Waffen follows with a much livelier approach, but divided between the fury of the rhythm section accompanied by the vocalist and the more soaring tones that float above them, constantly feeding the nuance between the two worlds. The final is particularly visceral, but An der Tafel der Toten tempers the pressure once more by leading us into Wolkenbrecher, where we find the haunting sounds of keyboards initially dictating the pace of the other instruments before letting them grow bolder. The bass plays an essential role in these intoxicating melodies, which gently thread their way through our minds, as do those of Die kalte Festung, which follows with a similar approach, while developing its own hypnotic touches thanks to regular harmonics. The duo return to a livelier, galvanizing rhythm on Himmelfahrtskommando, but the leads are never far away to accompany this gripping moment right through to the introductory discourse of Räuberlied, which sounds relatively solemn, but contrasts with the danceable tones of this final track, where the vocal parts are also turned towards savagery.

Still anchored in its Folk roots, Asenheim unfurls its savage darkness and aggression with raw bloody riffs. There are, however, more soothing, soaring passages on Wolkenbrecher, creating an interesting contrast with which the band plays almost constantly.

90/100