Den vrede makt

Norwegian black metal duo Whoredom Rife demonstrate an old-school approach with a moderate infusion of modern twists on their fourth album "Den Vrede Makt". Be patient, they don't immediately manifest their originality. Although the harsh, down-tuned guitars do not allow you to be reinforced in the view that this is just usual tremolo-based black metal, only at the end of the second 'Fiender' they produce an interesting, almost avant-garde move - a dissonant picking passage.

You might even find it strange that Whoredom Rife don't presume upon dissonance, because it gives the band a special charm. An old-school style dominates even the second half of the album (most notably in 'Phantom Sword' and 'Ravenous'), and sometimes you hear riffage in the spirit of early Enslaved or Emperor. Whoredom Rife also often use a proven move with repeating the same riff over and over again: such a looped melody generates a hypnotizing effect, especially if the riff has a slight dissonance, and, by the way, in such episodes, the music is a little reminiscent of Aosoth (check 'Ravenous' again).

The last song 'The Beautiful End of All', the longest one, stands out a bit from the album: it is almost entirely mid-tempo and built on a solemn groove, which in the middle of the song makes you remember Christ Agony. Yes, there are some oddities on "Den Vrede Makt", but, firstly, they are quite attractive, and secondly, the dark atmosphere and blistering mysteriousness cements the album into a monolithic and cohesive work.

Metalegion # 15