Rimfrost – Veraldar Nagli

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By Ola Mazzuca
There is a heavy scent lurking in the air, and it isn’t that of dirty socks. No, this is the smell of limited edition Slayer vinyl pulled out from a cupboard prior to listening in for ultimate inspiration. The possibility of Rimfrost having done this before writing Veraldar Nagli is very high, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve ripped off the sound from the classic outfit entirely, for it is one of many great elements blended into their music to accomplish near perfection.

This army of Swedes bring forth a new type of brutality that shows off some early and recent influences that do not interfere with originality. “The Black Death” and “The Raventhrone” are two wicked tracks to begin the album with chugging guitarwork and undertones of 80s thrash metal. A classic Scandinavian DM feel is present on “Legacy Through Blood” while Rimfrost channel corpsepainted facades on “Mountains Of Mána” where the ending is incredibly reflective of Immortal.

As the album grows significantly colder, it is evident that Rimfrost are able to maintain a distinct black metal sound that isn’t too cliché. Their sound infiltrates each ear because of its varied elements and sub-genre qualities that intertwine with each other. On “I Stand My Ground” all are exemplified perfectly in which harsh vocals exist, slight sweeps are played briskly and riffs are solid.

With its victorious tone and proper tempo contrast, the final track of Veraldar Nagli makes for a satisfying conclusion proving that you can sample different puzzle pieces to create your own final product. Each shape of sound does not resemble each other to the tee but correlate, and once brought together, they create fresh metal for the masses.

(Season of Mist)

Rating: 9

Sean is the founder/publisher of Hellbound.ca; he has also written about metal for Exclaim!, Metal Maniacs, Roadburn, Unrestrained! and Vice.