Band:	Watain
Album:	Sworn To The Dark
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	February 19, 2007
A review by:	Herzebeth

01. Legions Of The Black Light
02. Satan's Hunger
03. Withershins
04. Storm Of The Antichrist
05. The Light That Burns The Sun
06. Sworn To The Dark
07. Underneath The Cenotaph
08. The Serpent's Chalice
09. Darkness And Death
10. Dead But Dreaming
11. Stellarvore

I'm sure most Black Metal warriors already know Watain; but in case bells are not ringing in your head, this band saw their big (dark) light back in 2003 with a very promising album called "Casus Luciferi", an album that was used as a big plateau to launch potent and dynamic music for us to react in an eager way. Of course it worked, that album became a classic piece in the genre, still quite underground, but classic none the less.

The band took three years to make a follow-up to "Casus Luciferi", it seems they sat down and began throwing fresher and fresher ideas to finally come up with a very surprising album, an album that might not be as aggressive as their masterpiece but surely it's a big step towards the right direction.

If this is the first time you ever hear Watain you'll be more than pleased, in fact you'll be even overwhelmed by its content, this record is a unique raging black metal assault, an album that has that astounding punch that most Black Metal bands lost in the late 90's, true Black Metal from hell that's what I mean. But now, if you discovered and loved this band in their early stage, you could found yourself asking "What happened to their utter and incredibly raw brutality?"

What happened is that they evolved into a more structured machine; if you're nostalgic and you're longing for their hostility and rawness you're already drowning yourself in self-demise, the production is way better so why is that a problem? The music shows a more experienced band, the riffing is incredibly catchy and the overall scheme is way more complex than before, it's just natural progression ladies and gentlemen.

To tell you the truth I see a great album in my hands, the scary thing could be their forthcoming pieces as they might move into a Marduk type of sound instead of the early Mayhem influenced style they have now. But let's stay in the present for now, "Sworn To The Dark" is a must for every Black Metal aficionado, it's just what they like to call "True Black Metal"?if you ask me, you can't be truer than this actually.

Best Tracks: "Underneath The Cenotaph", "Legions Of The Black Light", "Storm Of The Antichrist"