I det glimrande mörkrets djup

It is not correct to think about some Swedish black metal bands in a mainstream context: it's true that Dissection or Watain are widely known, and Marduk or Dark Funeral are ones of the major acts in the whole scene, but the genre still remains feral and uncompromised in its fashion, nothing like Dimmu Borgir's discography starting from 1997's "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" best-selling record: in that case, Norwegian symphonic black metal was portrayed in a more listener-friendly manner, while those Swedish acts, for sure, retained their wild and dark approach even after their worldwide exposure. It's also true that some other bands were rooted in the underground while still highly acclaimed, like Dawn or Unanimated, but there are a few of them, equally good, if not even better, that were lost in the shadows of time, drowned in the bottomless pit of underground. Sorhin were one of those.

Only two records in their discography, but both awesome and worthy of a cult status among the black metal enthusiasts. Just take this first effort from the band: a cold, melodic black metal, in the perfect Swedish style, but with more than a hint of thrash metal influence. Thrashy approach is not rendered as could be found in Norwegian bands like Aura Noir or Nocturnal Breed: it's more of a melodic, fluid, un-muted kind of riffing style on top of classic skank-beats. Thus said, I really like the style of Sorhin, and it’s quite unique and personal even in the whole Swedish black metal scenario. This album also presents itself in the best possible way: simple and effective artwork, memorable hand-drawn logo, a strong, spectral, warlike appearance of the musicians involved, in all their face-painted glory. Nowadays this kind of imagery is a little bit related to a parody of the genre in itself, but in 1997, it was taken seriously by all means.

42 minutes long release with 10 tracks, with no fillers nor weak moments: every song has its own memorable melodies and well written and performed riffs, and the screaming vocals are so raw-sounding that the grimness and malevolence are overwhelming. Production wise, all is on point, even a little bit harsher than the usual Swedish crystal-clear and sharp typical sound: think about some sort of unpolished atmosphere not as deep as some Norwegian lo-fi masterpieces, but nonetheless far from an easy-listening proposal. This debut album, along with the next and last "Apokalypsens ängel", dwells in the realm of those underrated classics that deserve a wider recognition: quality always wins over quantity, and a release like this can effortlessly stand the comparison with many others' vast discographies.