Review by Adam M on August 5, 2020.

Dark Fortress return for more of their atmospheric form of black metal.  The riffing here is crisp and clear and lends nicely to the somewhat spine-tingling nature the band maintains.  Their form of black metal is mid-paced and features a good groove that moves the songs along.  Vocals are grim, but accessible enough to fit in with the rest of the material.  Overall, Spectres From the Old World is a well-rounded release with enough dynamics to remain consistently interesting.  The sound is also fairly melodic for typical black metal and an easy enough listen.  Songs like 'Pali Aike' breathe a compelling atmosphere and have a memorable aspect to them.

Overall, the album was a joy to listen to, but also didn’t do anything overly progressive to make it a complete stunner.  This is still a great release for black metal and fans of the genre looking for something they can easily sink their teeth into.  It has a very atmospheric aura that demands the listener's attention, as well as repeated listens.  Dark Fortress has struck the perfect balance and crafted a truly worthwhile album.  Comparison can be made to other black metal bands and this squarely fits between the works of Emperor and Mayhem having both raw aspects and more adventurous ones.  The album is more structured than the symphonic albums, but tries a lot of more interesting things than raw black metal.  It is thus a perfect album for the genre as it has its own unique identity as well.  It could be improved and made more interesting, but it is excellent nonetheless.

I would like to see the band further expand their sound in the future to keep it fresh and original.  All in all, the album gets a solid recommendation to black metal fans of pretty much any type.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10