Review by Felix on January 1, 2024.

“Harmagedon” was released at the dawn of the last millennium and no one could imagine that the dudes of Azaghal would forge eleven full-lenghts during their existence (and hopefully more is yet to come). I like this band very much. It’s not because of the overwhelming quality of their music. They have created fantastic albums, no doubt about it, but some outputs remained rather vapid. However, what I really like is the non-fickle attitude. Azaghal were always very reliable partners in terms of style and so it is only logical that the four songs of the EP with the misleading romantic artwork deliver nothing but pure blackness.

Their rather underperforming releases lack clear contours and, not at least because of the incomprehensible Finnish language, everything becomes an impenetrable mishmash. Here we have pretty structured songs with relatively accessible lead guitars that celebrate typical black metal lines. The vocals commute between mostly raw and occasionally conjuring or completely hysterical, while the pretty undifferentiated drums prefer high velocity. Due to the blurred sound, the man behind the kit cannot create a storm of power, but this does not mean that “Harmagedon” sounds inadequate. Quite the opposite, here we have a fine combination of underground dogma and violent atmosphere. The red splatter vinyl does not sound unique, but it matches the standards of the genre without making shaky compromises.

The four tracks with a playtime of 15 minutes deliver neither an unforgettable jewel nor a stinker. Mick J. says it’s only black ‘n’ metal, but I like it. Me too. “Harmagedon” does not need an outstanding highlight, it rather fulfils its mission in representing the general glory of the subgenre. Its grim power and its solid substance satisfy the needs of the target group and therefore the non-experimental EP deserves a positive rating, no more, no less.

Rating: 7.4 out of 10