Vehemency
While Svartsyn’s 2007 effort revolved around atmospheric passages where relatively odd time signatures (for black metal) were repetitive and hence easier to digest, the band’s sixth full-length Wrath Upon the Earth has little twists and turns in every corner. This, plus the generally faster tempo, makes Wrath Upon the Earth a more challenging record, but in its technicality also a little less interesting effort: the album is pretty much a blast fest throughout - in the vein of 1349 - with minimum dynamic range, other than the little technical tricks.
That is not to say that the album is bad at all: Wrath Upon the Earth is a mammoth, both compositionally and sound-wise. The bursts of speed are powerful in the massive production, a production that also has its glitches, though: the mixing of drums could do better because the individual drums, such as toms, sound really apart from each other. When toms and certain symbals are hit, they sound like they are coming from somewhere else, making it all sound a bit messy. (This is just a little detail that a drummer, yours truly, found a little harassing in the production, and I can assure you that it’s nothing too severe.)
Due to the static nature of the compositions, it’s hard to pick up standout moments from the 36-minute whole. This is one of the album’s problems, even if the album is worth hearing for the devilish, monstrous atmosphere alone. At times, the seemingly constant blast beat is trance-inducing and there are moments of slightly slower tempo, too (”Dawn of Triumph, ”Blood Temple”), to not dull the listener. The music retains the strictly evil morbidity from the beginning to the end, and I find myself exhausted after the album, which is a good sign.
For fans of Svartsyn’s back catalogue, Wrath Upon the Earth might be a disappointment due to its compressed sound and ultimate speed. Nonetheless, the album is rather well done and deserves a positive rating - the impressive cover art even more points. I could see myself giving this album spins every now and then in the future, most certainly.