Single Slam – Nuclear Alchemy by Watain (Trident Wolf Eclipse)

Swedish black metallers, Watain, have released their first new piece of studio material in years. It comes in the form of a single called Nuclear Alchemy and will feature on their new album, Trident Wolf Eclipse. Trident Wolf Eclipse is due to be released on the 5th of January via Century Media Records.

It was August 2013 when we last heard some new Watain material so this has been a long time coming. That album was the well received The Wild Hunt. Trident Wolf Eclipse will be the band’s sixth studio album in all from a career that started back in 1998. Watain today are Erik Danielsson on bass guitar and vocals. Håkan Jonsson is on the drums and Pelle Forsberg on guitar.

You can preview Nuclear Alchemy below –

Nuclear Alchemy is just over 3 minutes long and is a fast and heavy assault of a track. It starts fast, or so you think, with pounding drums and bass and screeching bass before suddenly upping the ante tenfold. The music is almost chaotic in it’s heaviness but there is still a bit of rhythm in there from the tight bass that keeps it in line. The vocals are heavy and unclean as you would expect. As the vocals come in, Nuclear Alchemy remains very fast and vicious but the riff is clear now and really strong.

The chorus, of sorts, brings in some high pitch guitar screeches which contrast wonderfully to the darkness surrounding them. Back to the riff we go as the speed and intensity raises again, The drums have a really meaty sound to them throughout and the bass is right at the front, leading much of the riff. Near the end of the song, the drums raise to an unbelievable level of quality with blistering drum rolls and then the most amazing rhythm, backed by wonderful guitars and bass. Wow.

Nuclear Alchemy is a wonderfully heavy track jam packed full of vicious vocals and pounding bass. The drums are on a different level and the guitar bangs out riffs at speed, occasionally switching to add a line or two of squeals and slides. It has been a long wait but so worth it. Nuclear Alchemy is black metal in it’s most extreme form so won’t be for the casual listener I guess but for the rest of us, what a treat. Bring on the new album.

Watain released the following statement –  “Nuclear Alchemy is the sound of an eager beast let loose from its cage at last. A song of violent fire, impending doom and of necks cracking in ecstasy. A dissolving injection of power and force into the coagulated veins of black metal and a first glimpse into the abyss that shall be opened in the beginning of 2018. Meanwhile, stand by for conflagration.”

Check it out for yourself over at Century Media Records YouTube channel. You can buy the 7 inch single from the band’s official store here or from Century Media here. You can also pick up Nuclear Alchemy at all the usual streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music. Finally, preorder Trident Wolf Eclipse from here. Check out Watain on Facebook and Twitter for more information on them and their music. Be sure to like and follow them while you are there.

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