Listen, I love Iron Maiden, but if I was to try to make music in homage of that band, it would be a disaster on a level no one wants to witness. There have been a ton of bands over the decades that have basically tried to imitate or pay honor to artists that inspired then, and usually is sounds like a lukewarm knockoff that doesn’t really spark any flames.

That said, most artists are not the caliber of Våndarr, the lone force behind Cirkeln who strikes back with “The Primitive Covenant,” a love letter to the likes of Celtic Frost, Bathory, Darkthrone, and so many others that contributed to black metal’s formative years. This is the third Cirkeln full-length and follow-up effort to last year’s tremendous “A Song to Sorrow,” though this album gets deeper into the weeds, grabbing onto that primitive sound that informed early black metal and made it the alluring force that attracted so many and led to danger and chaos. Unlike much of the current black metal scene, Cirkeln are unapologetically antifascist and here to light fires for the righteous battle, and the fact that the music has such a beautifully nostalgic metal edge just makes everything that much more alluring.

“Garden of Thorns” blasts in like it had been gaining momentum before the song even started, shrieks rushing by, guitars pulsing as the adventurous nature continues to swell. Guitars surge as the rawness feels chewy and exciting, the darkness stomping before things get breezier for a stretch. Gravelly dialog cuts through, a mystical push lathers with mystery, and the cloud cover increases before sizzling out. “The Witch Bell” heats up and pours on that classic Celtic Frost-style thorniness, charging with force as the growls are barked and croaked. The guitar tones make the shadows grow in your heart, the playing begins to rampage, and suddenly we’re sitting in dark echoes, the playing gaining speed. Smoke builds as the melodies chew, whipping through harsh storming, lathering and fading. “Ensam I Natt” is a cover of a song by the Swedish rock group Leather Nun, and it’s fast and exciting, the drums encircling, the bass slithering, and fiery shrieks adding an extra layer of pain just for good measure. Pretty fun and unexpected. “Defiled and Satanized” gets us back on track as the guitars boil and blister, the growls scrape, and melodies sweep you into a dingy basement. The playing thrashes and splatters as the guitars numb your senses, clean warbling explodes, and the final jolts are gut punches you feel for days.

“Awakened By Lost Arcane Premonitions” races immediately, shrieks and deep lurching combine to leave bruising, and it feels like your fingers are being mashed by the constant barrage. Fantastical synth lands and adds an increased sense of adventure, and then the guitars tear out guts again, fueling the spirited attack that spatters to an end. “As I Lay Waiting” is fiery at the start, monstrous spoken vocals boom and send chills down your spine, and evil barks dig underneath your fingernails. “Who am I?” Våndarr booms, “just a dying god,” as the guitars light up and aggravate molten thrashing that gives off infectious energy that boils and then ends suddenly and violently. “His Master’s Coils” opens with hypnotic guitars making the room spin, sludgy power increasing, organs giving off chilling fury. The playing gets spindly and the pressure explodes, the guitars twisting and racing, your body being thrown here and there as your neck jerks, the drama cascading and ending in glowing fantasy. Closer “The Death of Thy Father” opens with an electrified riff that has folkish tendencies, and the crunch added to the swarming melodies instantly arrests your imagination. The chorus is a killer, and everything here is incredibly catchy, the guitars soaring into the stratosphere, flutes adding an airy dash, the final moments leading to a blistering finish that adds a stiff shove at the end of your journey.

Cirkeln’s homage to the formative years and bands of classic black metal is so tried and true, a perfect and loving tribute to a sound that often was met with scorn and derision when it was born. Anyone who loves that style and era will be thrilled to the bone by “The Primitive Covenant,” a record that may have been created in the modern era but that perfectly captures the spirit of an underground movement from four decades ago. On top of that, Våndarr is an engaging artist who makes thunderous, fiery records that can set your black heart on fire and remind you of the majesty the progenitors gifted us.  

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/cirkelnband

To buy the album, go here: https://truecultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-primitive-covenant

For more on the label, go here: https://truecultrecords.bandcamp.com/