It takes a lot to get me to listen to second wave black metal these days. It takes even more to get me to listen to DSBM. But the facts around Sakna's tragically short career kept piling on the more I read about this upcoming release: heavily inspired by Windir, one of the greatest metal acts of all time, with a concept revolving around one of my favorite literary works, Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, and restored from beyond the veil of death by the artist's brother, the album immediately drew me. The final nail was that I really, really like the music. Sprawling, dramatic, meticulously composed and arranged, blazingly aggressive where it needs to be, De Syv Dødssynder ("The Seven Deadly Sins"), is everything that's great about second wave black metal. Head on over down below to listen to the full album for yourself.
Man, where to start? "Begynneise - Sti", the opening track, immediately captured my heart with its frosted, majestic, slow moving main riff but it's "Del I - Helvete" with its galloping riffs and abrasive vocals that really sealed the deal for me. It has that second wave charm to it, massively dedicated to the spirit of heavy metal but also wildly influenced by other palettes from the afore-mentioned Windir, Emperor, and more. The folk elements are expertly placed and thought out, much more than tacked on guitars, and the gorgeous organs just bring everything together, highlighting the operatic melodrama of it all. Elsewhere on the album there are sprawling epics well above the ten minutes mark, crushingly beautiful acoustic passages, and more frost-bitten, anguishing screams than you'll know what to do with.
It all rings with the unique perspective that Solemn, the brain and heart behind Sakna, had on black metal, steeped in the greats but willing and able to push past them. The tragedy of the album is highlighted even further by Sakna's own choice to take their own life in 2011, and their brother's dedication to their music which finally brought the album to life. If you're a fan of grandiose, well-wrought, and exquisitely earnest second wave black metal, or DSBM, neo-folk, funeral doom, and probably a bunch more genres, than you owe it to yourself to check this one out before pre-ordering it ahead of its release on Friday, October 31st.
Rest in peace Solemn and thank you for the wonderful music.