Bands that refuse to stay put and adhere to a specific sound or philosophy are plentiful, and a lot of them make really good music and albums. The ones that never seem comfortable with status quo and that burn down to build back up again tend to be more interesting, though, even if their projects aren’t always exploding with acclaim.
Nordic black metal force 1349 made a career out of fighting back against what’s become acceptable, embracing the tenets of their chosen subgenre but never being afraid to push things elsewhere. Just look at 2009’s “Revelations of the Black Flame,” the most experimental record of their entire run, and personally, one of my favorites, no matter the flak it took at the time. Their latest opus is “The Wolf and the King,” an eight-track, 39-minute bruiser that is lean and mean, and while it’s one of their most straightforward in a while, it still contains the heart of a band unsatisfied with their haul and always thirsty for more. The quarter of vocalist Ravn, guitarist Archaon, bassist Seidemann, drummer Frost plays with themes of alchemy, but with the bloody twist of turning oneself into a better version (the proverbial gold) as well as the wolf devouring the king, leading to the fires of recreation. That’s not only the theme of the record but of the band itself.
“The God Devourer” gets off to a tempered start, letting the heat rise before leading the force to rupture, the simple, but potent chorus sending jolts. Leads turn and spiral as the trudging pace flattens, the guitars firing before a mauling end. “Ash of Ages” rampages from the start, Ravn howling, “The ash of ages, frozen in time.” The band’s signature sound is sharp as ever, dashing as the playing gets more volatile, howls creaking as sounds buzz, sickening until an abrupt end. “Shadow Point” begins with clean guitars that give way to machine gun drums, everything tearing apart as the vocals grab for the throat. Strong riffs flex as the carnage boils over, guitars dominating and serving up devastation. “Inferior Pathways” is pointed and channeled, drums crushing as the leads dart, the chorus stabbing to the point. Leads explode and lather as vocals continue to torch everything in its path, a vicious, unrelenting finish ending in a pit of hellish ash.
“Inner Portal” has the bass slithering, a vicious, channeled assault adding pressure, speed building as the guitars spiral. The beast moves into the fog, erupting anew and bringing snarling howls and speedy melodies that cause extreme vertigo. “The Vessel and the Storm” attacks, howls crushing, guitars carving tributaries into hell. Lava explodes to the surface, chugging and mashing, a lightning force electrifying, Ravn wailing, “I am reborn!” “Obscura” burns into tornadic weather, the calculated pace eating into raw nerve endings, humidity swarming and making breathing a challenge. The pace then goes off, guitars peeling back flesh, the blasts taking apart skeletal structures limb from limb. Closer “Fatalist” dawns amid burning guitars, snarled screams, and disorienting heat, weird magic working its way down your spine. Strangeness swells and makes your mind wander, explosive blasts blackening skies, the chorus rushing and making for a warbling, psychologically damaging exit.
1349’s hellfire remains raging on “The Wolf and the King,” and this record is another solid entry into their stellar history. The band’s refusal to settle and simply just regurgitate a new record based on expectations never has been their thing, and as they continue to develop as people, that growth is reflected in their art. This band might seem like the wolf devouring the king on the surface, but don’t let that distract you from 1349’s continual rebirth and willingness to burn it all down to build back again.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/1349official
To buy the album, go here: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/band/1349
For more on the label, go here: https://www.season-of-mist.com/
Meat Mead Metal 