Watain // The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain // Album Review

Since their formation in 1998, Watain has become one of the most notorious Black Metal bands in the genre.

With their extreme form of music matched by unadulterated rawness, this blistering band are certainly not for everyone but for fans of the genre, you just know that you are going to love what is about to hit you.

The 10 tracks were written by the founding trinity of Watain of E. Danielsson, H. Jonsson and P. Forsberg and is the first album that has been recorded live, with the lineup being completed by A. Lillo, H. Eriksson and E. Forcas. The despicable wonder was captured by Tore Stjerna in his studio which is an od church in the countryside of Sweden. Could you get any more Black Metal?!

So what does this seventh studio album hold?

The distorted guitars opening to the album and the sinister riff that follows before an explosion of noise and gurgling vocals is exactly what you want, as the breakneck speed gets the blood racing around your body as it feels like it’s being attacked. You just know that this is going to be a whole lot of questionable fun.

As the album progresses, we get a slower tempo at times, but also a lot of high paced, hellish riffs along with a blood-curdling vocal and the high pitched sound f the cymbal to summon the horrors that we know and expect to come from Watain.

If you are still reading this then you haven’t been put off yet so I can use full song titles!

The opening to ‘Black Cunt’ is simple yet horrifying as it calls in the rest of that huge sound that you are used to now and you can just feel the dark shroud descend as the band explore the most sinister of evil and the deepest depths of darkness.

There is no denying that some people will not like what Watain have to offer but if you are a fan of the band or Black Metal, then be prepared, this is going to rip your face off.

From start to finish this is as high quality as you can get, as it grips your resolve ad squeezes every last ebb out of you. You will feel yourself being completely consumed by the extreme darkness and when you give yourself up to it you feel so good.

I haven’t enjoyed a Black Metal album as much as I do this for a long time.

The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain will be released Friday 29^th April 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Tracklist