Review by Fernando on August 16, 2021.

Wolves In The Throne Room is a band that at this point needs no introduction, but for the uninitiated they’re one of the most well-known US black metal bands of the past two decades and are considered the pioneers of “Cascadian black metal”, which is basically their brand of atmospheric black metal and inspired a whole scene in the Washington and Oregon area, but I digress. After 4 years since their opus Thrice Woven, the band have finally decided to return with their seventh LP Primordial Arcana, released by Relapse Records.

WITTR’s status as the frontrunners of Cascadian black metal has been unwavering. Multi-instrumentalist brothers Aaron and Nathan have been refining and expanding their craft over the years. Their now signature somber and lush style of black metal is wherein the band incorporated folk instrumentation which further enhanced the band’s mystical and mythological atmosphere. That’s still very much the case with this new record which also includes the continued contributions of guitarist Kody Keyworth, however, while the previous record was a very rich, ambitious and sometimes symphonic offering, this new record is the band’s most straightforward and concise record to date, while also being their most musically intense and ferocious record and all of that without discarding the folk driven melodicism and atmosphere of previous record. As a whole the album feels simultaneously ancient and modern, the production and sound continues to be another triumph of the band, who once again produced this album themselves. The same can be said of the music; if there’s a band that can make their music sound like the forests of Cascadia, that band is indeed Wolves In The Throne Room, as this album captures not just the majestic beauty and mystery of the woods and the folklore behind them, but also the cruelty of nature, the anguish, the darkness and the melancholy of ancient times.

Primordial Arcana also continues to display the band’s musical talent. The trio’s instrumental prowess is not just as good as their previous record but the overall performance the band gives sounds fresh and reinvigorated. One minor criticism I’ve had with Wolves is how their music could get a bit too bloated and self-indulgent (a frequent issue with atmospheric black metal in general), and for as ambitious as Thrice Woven was, the middle point always felt a bit languid, not boring by any means, but it was certainly an album that was best enjoyed with complete focus. This record though, has none of those issues, the band has a tight and focus approach, tracks like the opening track 'Mountain Magick' and 'Primal Chasm (Gift Of Fire)', is when the band completely embrace their blackened side, but again, at no point does the band discard or sideline their atmospheric tendencies. The keyboards and ambience has as much importance and impact as the guitars, drums, bass and howling shrieks and blood curdling growls. This is best illustrated in tracks like 'Spirit Of Lightning' and 'Underworld Aurora' where the band seamlessly switches back and forth between aggression and atmosphere and can combine the two masterfully.

There really is little to no flaws worth mentioning. Wolves In The Throne Room really achieved something truly special with Primordial Arcana. You’d think that a band that is on their seventh album would start showing signs of age but not only this isn't the case, this is an artistic and musical rebirth, as well as a new peak for the band. I’d go as far to say that this album is both a great new addition in the band’s discography as well as an excellent jumping on point for new fans. It’s got the best elements of Wolves’ sound distilled and refined to a tee, and this is easily one of the better black metal albums to come out this year. Highly recommended.

Best tracks: 'Mountain Magick', 'Spirit Of Lightning', 'Primal Chasm (Gift Of Fire)', 'Masters of Rain SAnd Storm', 'Underworld Aurora'

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Greg on July 6, 2023.

Schizophrenic death/thrash fans and obscure (or outright invented) word lovers unite, Hellwitch is back! With their 3rd full-length in almost 35 years of activity, the release schedule is arguably the only field where the Florida underground cult act ever took it slow, as all of their material can be put under the umbrella of hyperfast spastic, jarring tech, most notably on the odd debut Syzygial Miscreancy, not to mention their endless streak of minor releases over the years.

Unsurprisingly, Annihilational Intercention mostly picks up where its predecessor, the lethal comeback Omnipotent Convocation, left off 14 years earlier, with a more modern approach to the same principles that made the band so unique in the hearts of many. The lineup is almost the same, with the only abandonment of the inoxidable drummer Joe Schnessel – but Brian Wilson, apart from having his CV permanently ruined by his appearance in Thrash Or Die, is a more than worthy replacement. Main man Pat Ranieri is also simply on fire, not having aged a day since the previous LP, still letting out those almost trademark shrill, visceral screams with no difficulty whatsoever. He and partner in crime J.P. Brown slice through these ~40 minutes with their mystifying riffs and no less over-the-top leadwork.

The album is off to a strong start, also. The first three tracks are pretty much the whole LP in a nutshell, showing a band with next to no interest towards the progresses made in the last four decades and just churning out their trademark version of the genre like no one else. Opener 'Solipsistic Immortality' might already set up the new world record for the most breakneck tempo changes ever shoehorned in a single song. 'Megalopalypytic Confine' (yep, I'm copy-pasting there) amusingly enough starts with an intro that sounds somewhat halfway between a callback to 'Viral Exogence' and the 'Charge' stadium song, before offering another compendium of buzzing riffs, technical drums and hysterical vocals. A personal highlight of mine has to be 'Epochal Cessation', if only for its groovy staccato riif coming halfway through that shouldn't really work, but actually breaks out of the constant beating in an excellent way.

Arguably, Annihilational Intercention doesn't leave the listener much to shout along or even remember, but honestly Hellwitch's music was never 'accessible' in any possible interpretation of the word (as if you wouldn't have expected from those titles, right?). I just feel a bit overwhelmed but its whole content, and possibly underwhelmed by their namesake song, which appeared as the short banger in the middle, but then wasted too much time in the middle. While we're at it, I find it incredible that it wasn't re-recorded from one of their obscure 163 demo tapes, although some old material is still present – the concluding trio 'Antropophagi', 'At Rest', and 'Torture Chamber' was dug up from the Antropophagi demo (although the last mentioned reached as far back as '86 cassette Transgressive Sentience) and has finally been made available to a public wider than only tape hunters and collectors. Especially 'Torture Chamber' shows up its age since it sounds like the sociopath brother of 'Hit The Lights' – a demented, yet primitive thrash scorcher. Not exactly the finale I'd expected, but a nice addition nonetheless.

Given the extremely dilated waiting times between LPs, a new Hellwitch full-length is always an epochal (pun not intended) happening. It's safe to say that if Omnipotent Convocation never did much to you, or if you didn't find anything of value even on the much-lauded Syzygial Miscreancy, Annihilational Intercention won't do anything to change your mind. This is a group of musicians that carved their own space in extreme metal's history and pretty much never strayed far from it. But for all the fans disseminated around the globe, your favourite band is back with full force.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10