One of the most mystical black metal bands currently active, Watain exist on an almost entirely different plane to those around them. Well known for their ceremonial shows which often involve the liberal bedaubing of the band and stage with pig’s blood, such trappings would be of nought if the band didn’t have the musical ability to support such unconventional behaviour, and so it is fortunate that Watain approach their music with a level of respect and care that can be dizzying to behold.
What makes Watain special is the band’s use of light and shade to create music that could be more broadly termed progressive than straightforward black metal. There is a potent intelligence at work here that allows the band to tether their thought-provoking lyrics to musical works of real scope, evoking not just scene godfathers Venom and Bathory but also Pink Floyd and Swans. ‘The wild hunt’ is, therefore, a ride of depth and assuredness that reeks of confidence and which burns with a sulphuric lustre that will sit long with the listener after the disc has finished spinning.
Opening with the instrumental ‘night vision’ there is a swirling, carnival-esque feel to the music that simmers with the anticipation of illicit delights. It quickly gives way to the brutal black metal assault of ‘De profundis’, a ferocious piece of blackened violence which gets the adrenalin flowing but which does little to hint at the myriad delights awaiting the listener further into the album’s dark heart. It is on ‘black flames march’ that the ambitious scope of the album truly begins to appear, glistening scarlet in the firelight. A brilliantly violent piece of work, it takes the imperial majesty of Emperor and sends it, scorched with satanic fire, out into the night, wounded and yet regal. The guitars intertwine in a serpentine fashion whilst the crushing percussion keeps everything marching forward with lock-step precision. Hints of Dimmu borgir (circa ‘Puritanical Euphoric misanthropia’) and Thrones are present in the band’s frozen, industrial might and there is no question that Watain are at the peak of their not inconsiderable powers on this album. Phased guitars lead the listener ever further into Watain’s obsidian vision on ‘all that may bleed’, the martial beat pounding through the body like nails through flesh, the guitars forming a gnarled, impenetrable wall of noise one minute before suddenly gathering for a devastatingly precise attack the next, whilst the vocals all the while excoriate the listener with forked tongue sibilance. Following on from such a tortuous symphony of sickness, ‘the child must die’ is a malicious, slightly psychedelic ride that incorporates a thunderous drum sound that reverberates right through the body even as the riffs pile up, swivel-eyed against the glass, staring wildly into the abyss.
At the heart of the album lies Watain’s masterpiece. A stunning work of progressive beauty, ‘they rode on’ is Watain’s answer to ‘comfortably numb’ filtered through ‘great annihilator’-era Swans. Dark, brooding and utterly beautiful, it is a work of solemn splendour that highlights just how diverse Watain have become in their search for musical perfection. It is as brave, bold and elegant a piece of music as you could wish to hear, and whilst it still crackles with energy, the power comes from the soaring leads and the slow-building climax which is as thrilling as any of the band’s more violent work. It is hard to fault such an epic piece of song-writing and it serves to perfectly highlight just how confident and capable a band Watain have become. ‘Sleepless evil’sees the savagery return with a vengeance, as if the band, cleansed by the previous track, are ready to once again dance in the flames of perdition. The drums hit home with mechanical precision here, whilst the guitars create a roaring, static-soaked din that leaves the listener feeling as if they’ve been trepanned with a jackhammer, although even here, in the midst of something so extreme, sinister delights await those who can weather the storm. The title track is a slower, more contemplative outing that takes on a funereal march, the pounding, half-time beat only serving to emphasise that, even at their most wilfully psychedelic, Watain still produce a nihilistic strain of metal that never once falters from its deviant purpose. A dark, claustrophobic effort complete with a sinister chorus of faceless monks adding their voice to the twisted ceremony taking place, it’s hard to imagine another band crafting songs of such power even whilst eschewing the white-hot fury more notably associated with their name. ‘Outlaw’, is a stabbing, industrial endeavour that threatens to overpower the listener with its blistering intensity. It is followed by ‘ignem vani Mittere’, a song which opens with a passage of stunning beauty that stands in stark contrast to that which surrounds it, before heavier guitars add a dark edge to the sound. The overall feel, once again, is of a band equally in thrall to David Gilmour as to Varg Vikernes and it leads neatly to the final track, ‘holocaust dawn’, a more traditional black metal song with its searing riffs and thunderous, tribal percussion, that closes the album on a furious high.
Watain have long been considered a force to be reckoned with, but the power they deploy here is nothing short of stunning. A band unafraid to take risks and dabble in other genres, Watain have created if not the best extreme album of the year then certainly an album that stands proudly in the top five. Here you will find power, exaltation, invention and innovation. The music is timeless, subtle, furious and unrestrained all at once, and you’re faced with a band who aren’t afraid to develop their sound, utilising elements of progressive rock, shoegaze, black metal and even classical to devastating effect. Quite simply, you are unlikely to hear a better extreme metal album than ‘the wild hunt’ all year – treasure this album for it is a work of sublime genius and should be treated with the greatest of respect.
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