Review by JD on December 16, 2016.

I am a fan of old school black metal - Venom and early Bathory are some of the acts that got me into it in the first place. I do love many of the Norwegian acts as well (Mayhem, Burzum and Darkthrone), but the original Satan stompers are who I enjoy.

Darkenhold is a French act that evokes the nastiest of black metal around, but still had a sense of melody that is actually refreshing. Cold, harsh and brutal in the utmost, the band extends a bloodied hand to the dark lord in welcoming. I was fascinated as hell listening to Darkenhold and hearing certain things I always thought black metal needed. Songs like 'Strongholds Eternal Rivalry' and 'Glorious Horns' were nasty slabs of black metal… and yet had wonderful melody that made it stand out in the glut of BM. I particularly liked the track 'Mountains Wayfaring Call'… as they added in some Viking/folk metal to add to the bands amazing output.

This album has become one of my favorites in the BM genre, and I hold up as a classic. I am sure this will satisfy both the black metal community, as well as those out there who generally don't get into the genre. Darkenhold is the real deal.

Rating: 9 out of 10