Dutch black metal band Asagraum will release a new album on the 20th of October. The album bears the name Veil of Death, Ruptured. We were lucky enough to get our hands on it early, so we gave it plenty of listening sessions and here are our thoughts about it.
Introduction
I’ve been following Asagraum for a while now, and it’s great to see that they get more and more attention from the black metal scene. They have a clear no – nonsense vibe and want to relive the best era black metal had (the 90s). And luckily (or sadly, depends on how you look at it), I’m old enough to have experienced a large portion of that era. I liked the first album, “Potestas Magicum Diaboli” then the band really convinced me with their second full length, “Dawn of Infinite Fire”, it was fast-paced and ferocious.
The points that sold me for the second album, was the overall quality, the vocals, and the drumming. So let’s see what Asagraum brings to the table this time around with their third album, “Veil of Death, Ruptured”, and if they make me feel like the 90s 2nd wave era coming to life again.
Veil of Death, Ruptured
Veil of Death, Ruptured, has a runtime of 36 minutes and 30 seconds, the record contains 8 tracks which of 2 of them are instrumental tracks. It’s also including the released single “Impure Fire”. Furthermore, worth a mention is the album artwork by Bert Mulder. It looks excellent, and I love the composition and the colour scheme.
When I was younger and Spotify and all that other streaming stuff wasn’t around. I would judge a CD by its cover and if the cover was to my liking I would buy the album. On those merrits alone this album would have been an instant pick up by me in the 90s.
So what can you expect when you buy or stream this album? A well produced black metal album, where the instruments are mixed well and everything is in the right place. The entire album is well put together. From the beginning to the end.
You can definitely hear progression in terms of style, but for me, the second album sounds more aggressive than the new one. But that’s also personal taste, so your opinion, of course, could be entirely different.
- Ignem Purificat Lilitu
- Fearless Dominance
- Opus ad Errantem (Instrumental)
- De verloren tijd
- Impure Fire
- Veil of Death, Ruptured
- Opus ad Aeternum (Instrumental)
- De waanzin roept mijn naam
Highlights
“Ignem Purificat Lilitu” the first track, is a good indication of what to expect for the rest of the album. The riffs are nice, and the drums are also on par.
“De Veloren tijd” is the 4th track of the album and one of my highlights, it’s a track that starts off mid-tempo, but that’s more of an interlude, after a some clean vocals (in Dutch) the tempo picks up. It creates a great atmosphere and the entire track is in Dutch, so for me, it gives an extra layer of atmosphere.
The 6th track “Veil of Death, Ruptured” starts with some melodic beat and after a bit it really starts to pickup. The icy vocals of Obscura pierce through the instruments, and the drums just keep on going. This, together with “De Verloren tijd” are my favourite songs of the album.
Conclusion
So what is my conclusion after listening to this album by Asagraum a lot; There’s a clear progression in the production of the album, and it all comes together very well, my personal taste makes me like the second album a tad more, but just a tad.
For all fans of black metal in general, just give this album a spin, and I’m sure you will like it. And if you do, be so kind to support the artists and buy the album on your preferred format.
Links
Label:
Website: https://edgedcircleproductions.com/ecp-shop
Bandcamp: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/veil-of-death-ruptured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edgedcircleproductions
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edgedcircleprod
Band:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asagraum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asagraum
Your expectations and thoughts?
Are you looking forward to this album and if so, what are your expectations? Please let us know in the comments below what you think, and join our discord, where we discuss all things black metal! Make sure to follow our Facebook page, Black Metal Zine to receive notifications when we publish articles. Also check out our Instagram at @blackmetal.zine for concert pictures and more!