Review by Felix on December 15, 2023.

Azaghal belong to these bands that I like, almost irrespective of the quality of the respective album. The Finnish brigade embodies the spirit of black metal in a very credible way. Attributes like powerful, persistent and abysmally evil describe their music fittingly. The voluminous discography is free from sin, because the band never felt the need to soften their musical way of proceeding. With that said, let's have a close look at "Luciferin valo", which means "The Light of Lucifer". In view of the title and the diabolic aura of the album, I am sure that the devil himself was involved in the realization of this output. It is always nice to know that this confused troublemaker has better things to do than starting a new war.

Good news, the album benefits from a comparatively strong production. The guitars create a black wall and the throaty vocals deliver the hardly legible graffiti. I agree that the interplay of the raw voice and the menacing guitars does not constitute a unique feature. But the band's authenticity that I have described before gives the songs an extra quantum of vileness. Finally, the drums are also put in the right light, even though it could be a little bit more punchy. Anyway, the down-to-earth appearance of the songs matches the general appearance of the straight Scandinavian horde. The guys do not care about highly sophisticated concepts. They are acting at the frontline and follow their instincts. To satisfy the needs of aesthetes is not their objective.

The light of Lucifer is not the brightest shining star in the northern winter sky. Yet Azaghal's sixth regular full-length is anything else but disappointing. Innovation does not play a role, but only moronic misfits expected a new approach from the stubborn band. The well established combination of sinister leads, gruesome riffs ("Kuin lampaat teuraalle" delivers the most fantastic one), raw vocals and high speed outbursts works and that is the main thing. Apart from these ingredients, it is surely needless to mention that Azaghal still choose different song formulas without leaving the lightless realms of their sub genre. Their indisputable musicianship goes hand in hand with their weakness for destruction and the effect is that the album provides the right degree of destructiveness. Nevertheless, it is not their most bestial work. The mid-paced "Azaghal Terror Cult", for example, floats on an almost airy riffing. It takes more than two minutes before an angry double bass shows up in order to add a more powerful element. Anyway, this song - as well as the remaining tracks - does not betray the ideals of the black metal community. (Are convinced misanthropes interested in building a community? I have to think about that.) Moreover, all tracks are based on sustainable ideas and it is to the credit of the band that it saw no reason to modify its style. Only fools like The Haunted change a well working success formula. The miserable result defies description.

"Luciferin valo" did not revolutionize the genre. It is just another document of northern black metal which shines with homogeneity, authenticity and mercilessness. It goes without saying that any form of irony or fun is missing. Azaghal are serious about their music. Their terroristic attitude is credible, at least as long as we do not take into consideration that we are just talking about a product of the entertainment industry. But this is another story. One thing is certain, everybody who likes pure black metal without any type of stylistic mishmash is well advised to look out for this album, because its song material is on an equal footing with that of the band's competitors.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by JD on April 20, 2012.

After hearing so many lackluster Death Metal or just plain peculiar Avant-guard metal as well I was looking forward to hearing a good dose of nasty Black Metal. The chance to hear this come from a Finnish Black Metal band named after a J.R Tolkien mythological King of the Dwarfs Azaghal.

This Finish act is a throwback to the early days of the BM scene of the mid to the ladder 80's (older Bathory, Onslaught, Venom) and we should all feel glad for that. There is nothing here but wickedly brutal, stripped to the bone older school Black Metal that seems to be the exception rather the rule these days. With vicious and throughly caustic vocals, massively heavy yet intensely memorable riffs, an air of an dank and grim atmosphere that is tied together just a touch of older Thrash as well it is to me , what Black Metal is suppose to be.

Sung completely in their native language, it never once takes away anything from the music. Even if you don’t understand the words, you cannot help but fear the cold and harshness that the atmosphere is. The fiendishness feelings flow freely like Hell’s Ferryman Charon carrying damned souls over the river Styx to the gates of Hades. Always delivering the demonic vision to all regardless of the language or race.

Don’t get me wrong here, I love the newer BM, but the more basic and guttural the Black Metal, it seems that it is more at home there. I love Progressive Metal in Black Metal and in general but for my taste- the more stripped down and old school the Black Metal is, the more I love it. I love the newer BM s scene, but my darkened heart prefers my Satanic Metal straight to the jugular heavy and heart felt as fuck.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:9
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 8.5
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.1 out of 10