Album Review: Svart Crown – Wolves Among the Ashes (Century Media Records)

Carl Fisher 2 min read

Birth. Life. Death. Rebirth. The endless circle. This has been Svart Crown’s journey ever since they first roamed the south of France back in 2004. This didn’t happen by design, it de facto became the backbone of their musical quest: Never stand still or you shall wither and die! Shed the skin, over and over again. Be reborn!

Wolves Among The Ashes’ first sparkle of life came as a vision, when the band’s undisputed leader of fifteen years Jean-Baptiste Le Bail saw the Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan, a natural gas field nicknamed ‘door to hell’ (‘darvaza’ literally means ‘door’ in Turkmen) which has been burning for the last four decades.

I liked the idea of Nature always overcoming us, fighting back over what we had taken from it, the talion law on an environmental level if you will. I believe in karma and the whole album was built on this idea.

Showcasing the darkness behind their new beastly record with the sound of cult leader Jim Jones (Jonestown massacre), Svart Crown release some seriously pent up aggression on Thy Will Not Take Our Death in Vain and Thermageddon. The blackened death metal viciousness raging with concentrated force.

Bringing some exhilarating dark groove alongside their inimitable heaviness, Art of Obedience is all about the guitars. Although that is not to take away from the enormous sound of the drums or the barbarity of the vocals either. Illustrated by Blessed Be the Fools and the head-banger that is At the Altar of Beauty. If you’ve not lost your mind to Svart Crown’s ruthless metal assault already, then Down to Nowhere will be the one that pushes you over the edge.

While not as rough and hefty as what we’ve heard so far, the murky tone and cleanish singing is in sharp contrast to what has come before. Making it all the more pleasurable by simply standing out as different.

Drumming up a storm with Exoria, Svart Crown put the stamp of quality on Wolves Among the Ashes with a stellar guitar solo alongside heavy groove. All before it must sadly end but what an end it is thanks to Living With the Enemy.

They’ve smashed it out of the park here.

Svart Crown – Wolves Among the Ashes Full Track Listing:

1. They Will Not Take Our Death In Vain
2. Thermageddon
3. Art Of Obedience
4. Blessed Be The Fools
5. At The Altar Of Beauty
6. Down To Nowhere
7. Exoria
8. Living With The Enemy




Links

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Svart Crown - Wolves Among the Ashes (Century Media Records)
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