Review by Felix on April 2, 2022.

I ordered this CD due to a friendly recommendation from a guy with an enormous black metal expertise. Finnish black metal is almost always a good choice, isn’t it? Devil Crisis is no classic album, because it has been recorded in different sessions from 2012 to 2018. Therefore you might not expect a very homogeneous work. But after all, only the closer, a boozy, primitive black thrash number of the lesser strong kind, takes another road than the remaining tracks. However, there is some good music to discover here. In addition, we also find a somewhat stupid spoken words part at the beginning of 'Chi No Namida'. It is a German text about good, evil and all this generic nonsense, but let’s forget this flow-hurting babbling and enjoy the musical content.

The opener delivers typical black metal from Suomi. Diaboli, Pestiferous and further comparable bands nod their heads benevolently and applaud. It is this classic kind of opener, fast, straight and a little catchy. 'Thy Deviant' points into the same direction while adding a spooky touch at the same time. Just like the output’s late highlight 'The Witch Of My Heart', it holds some discreet keyboard melodies. They seem to be inspired by Dimmu Borgir before these jesters went wrong. But the ruling element is naturally presented by the powerful guitars that celebrate their pretty cold harmonies stoically. The rasping nagging of the vocalist completes the picture and I enjoy the fact that no single second of this song is boring – no matter of course in view of the fact that it crosses the ten minutes mark. 'Spellbound' on the third position also offers high velocity, small but vile melodies and an appropriate atmosphere. Okay, The True Werwolf do not play a very drastic, radical or extreme form of black metal and they cannot win an award for innovation. But they remind us of the strength of generic black metal and they do it competently.

Production-wise, the two protagonists also have no groundbreaking new features in their portfolio. The mix spreads enough underground vibes to underline the spirit and the authenticity of the band, but it also does not fall victim to a washed-out, dull or powerless performance. I enjoy the solid harshness and the proper depth of the sound. Therefore, I am happy to pass on the recommendation of the expert mentioned in the first sentence. The True Werewolf are perhaps not a band you absolutely have to know, as you can get what they offer elsewhere. But black metal does not need innovation, it asks for honesty – and Devil Crisis is a good record, not only from this perspective.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10