Band:	Natan
Album:	Het Zicht Van De Dood
Style:	Pagan black metal
Release date:	2008
A review by:	Bas

01. Grauwbaard's Lied
02. Volkskracht
03. Eenzaam
04. Velden Van Bloed
05. De Hoge
06. Mijn Lot
07. Het Zicht Van De Dood
08. Ondergang
09. Doodsfeest

Although not totally unknown either, the Belgian metal scene isn't exactly known for being one of the biggest, yet this origin isn't what makes Natan special. What makes them stand out from most bands in the same style is that this sextet sings in their native language; Flemish. Apart from this the band isn't very original though, more about that later on.

While they're being marketed 'atmospheric pagan/black metal' I'd say this is only half true. Personally I'd rather describe them as melodic black metal with a few folk moments in between. I'm sure Emperor must have had a big influence on these Belgians, who play the cold, antiseptic Scandinavian style of black metal. Most of the time it's rather on the faster side of things, yet there are also some slower parts in their black metal and also a lot of solos throughout the album which clocks in at a bit over an hour.

The very atmospheric folk parts are usually played with synths, violin and (I think) acoustic guitar and are sometimes accompanied by female vocals. With their absolute tranquillity they form a great contrast to the faster and heavier parts; a good example of this is the track "Velden Van Bloed" (Fields Of Blood). However the black metal and folk parts are only seldomly played simultaneously. And even though these calm folk elements are much less prominent than the black metal parts, they do a lot to add depth to the music as a whole.

All of this has been hundreds of times before, we all know that, but on the other hand most bands who play this kind of music aren't nearly half as good as Natan at it. The guitarists really know how their job should be done and the cold atmosphere throughout the whole album is just great. I should also give special credit to Natan's drummer. It's nothing special for a black metal drummer to be fast, but this guy does a lot more than that. Literally; as what makes him stand out from the rest of the drummers in this style is the amount of variation he uses on every track. The production is flawless for this music as well

So my final words on Het Zicht Van De Dood (The Sight Of Death) are these; who needs originality if you can have quality instead? I can definitely recommend this CD to all fans of melodic black metal.