Indeed, UNHOLY CRAFT play traditional, CULT black metal from ancient Scandinavia, taking influence from the obvious - Darkthrone's Peaceville trilogy, Hat-fronted Gorgoroth, the first Ancient album - to, more so, the very cult likes of Kvist, Sorhin, and Fimbulwinter. As such, the band's Naar All Tid er Omme debut is a veritable blast from the past, but one thankfully exuding personality and a freshness of approach. For one, Peregrinus' fully physical execution maintains a more blown-out rawness in line with the modern raw black metal scene. But, for another, that rawness doesn't mask a lack of ability. Far from it, actually: the mainman exudes equal skill on all instruments and puts those enviable chops to use across songwriting that keeps it traditional and yet puts interesting, almost-deviant twists to it along the way.

In that sense, UNHOLY CRAFT's craft honors second-wave black metal's initial unorthodoxy, when most of its earliest bands each maintained their own approach - when the future lay wide open, as it were. That's in the past now, but Naar All Tid er Omme resurrects those glorious times with magickal ease and elan. UNHOLY CRAFT are coming to a church near you!


Black LP