CD Review: Black Messiah - The Final Journey

Written by Ray Dunkle Tuesday, 07 February 2012 13:43

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Artist: Black Messiah
Title: The Final Journey
Genre: Pagan / Viking Metal
Release Date: 24th February 2012
Label: AFM Records

Album Review

Valhalla is the Planet Testosterone of Norse mythology where men, lots of men are doing manly stuff after death. And the BLACK MESSIAH show that they will have a part in all that, I presume after their death. But for the time being, you should know that the band was formed in 1994 and back then they used to play Death Metal till they found the meaning of life which was disposed between stone cold dead Vikings.

And yet, besides the fun, the truth is that the BLACK MESSIAH manages to create a highly enjoyable Power/ Epic Metal in the forms of the Paganism or of Vikings. The opening ‘Windloni’ puts you right in the middle of their cosmos, a world of heroes, tons of snow, and men’s bullet-proof leather bikinis. What distinguishes them from a zillion bands that play something similar are Zagan’s vocals which manage to deal with lots of anger without losing something from the epic tone of the band, and of course, the versatility of the organs the band has put into the songs, making them appealing in terms of musicianship. The riffs are heavier than artillery bombs, they are bloody catchy and the pace of the songs is as fast as it should be.

‘Der Ring Mit Dem Kreuz’ also has a Symphonic Death Metal feeling which adds an extra amount of feeling their bloodbath atmosphere needs. Surely the high peak of the CD at least in terms of concept and breadth is ‘The Naglfar Saga’. The only characterisation for that quartet of songs is epic. It is also interesting that the band wants to distance itself from many who think that the Norse mythology can be their safeguard for neo-Aryan and fascistic propaganda. In this, their fifth studio release, the BLACK MESSIAH prove to be more mature and confident than ever before, not only in terms of sound but also in terms of recording, of presence, and of lyrical breadth. It is certain that the fans of the genre will enjoy this “Final Journey”.


Tracklist

01. Windloni
02. Der Ring Mit Dem Kreuz
03. To Become A Man
04. Into The Unfathomed Tower (A Tribute To Candlemass)
05. Feld Der Ehre
06. Lindisfarne
07. The Naglfar Saga: Prologue – The Final Journey
08. The Naglfar Saga: Mother Hel
09. The Naglfar Saga: On Board
10. The Naglfar Saga: Sailing Into Eternity


Line-up

Zagan – Vocals / Guitars / Violin / Mandolin
Meldric – Lead Guitars
Zoran – Guitars
Agnar – Keyboards
Garm – Bass
Mike 'Brööh' Bröker – Drums


Websites

http://www.blackmessiah.de/


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10