Black Messiah - The First War of the World

Title: The First War of the World
Artist: Black Messiah
Genre: Black Metal
Release Date: 20th March 2009
Label: AFM Records



Album review

German/Viking metal act BLACK MESSIAH is ready to unleash upon the masses their fourth attempt known only as ‘First War of the World’, a tale of dread and war of the entire world being held in the hands of one man who has the power to make the best of us. This being a follow-up to the band's ‘Of Myths and Legends’ (2006), this time around you get 13-songs of high-class pagan metal mixed in with the usual black metal in between. Opening up the album is ‘Prologue - The Discovery’, which begins our tall tale of high flying adventure lasting 2 minutes and 53 seconds long it explains exactly what has just happened and what beholds the warrior that has been chosen to protect us from all that is evil in the world on the war bound trail. The general penchant of this album gets grimmer during the compelling ‘The Battle of Asgaard’. A proper amount of cinematic grandness is added. The devastating ‘Burn Vanaheim’, is the summit of merciless flogging, after that they slacken down things towards the medium tempo ‘Das Unterpfand’, in which guest vocalist Markus “Mönch” Wahlers adds a momentous tinge with his baritone vocals. When Odin overlooks the battlefield, a huge feeling of melancholy takes hold of him. It is ultimately illustrated by the sentimental ‘Andacht’.

This album is well crafted and pieced together and is a big step forward from their previous works and will leave this album out in the open to not looked on upon as not being worthy music but being a stand out highlight to the actual source of the music worthy of a listen as least more than once! Fans of AMON AMARTH and EMPYRIUM are surely to fall into this mad world just waiting to be discovered and explored upon. Consequently ‘First War of the World’, rounds off with the cheerful ‘Soeldnerschwein’, which will cause a proper tomfoolery in a live situation. Without any doubt, BLACK MESSIAH has created its best album to date with this one.