Band:	The Black League
Album:	Ichor
Style:	Gothic metal
Release date:	September 19, 2000
Guest review by:	ForestsAlive

01. Doomwatcher
02. One Colour: Black
03. Deep Waters
04. Goin' To Hell
05. Avalon
06. We Die Alone
07. The Everlasting - Pt. II
08. Ozymandias
09. Blood Of The Gods
10. Bunker King
11. Winter Winds Sing
12. Ecce Homo!
13. Night On Earth

Ichor is a timeless but undervalued classic packed with creativity, amazing performances, and beautiful atmosphere. While it's the band's first album, it represents an achievement that remains unmatched to this day.

Taneli Jarva was the original singer for Sentenced up until Amok, the band's best and most highly respected album. To my knowledge, Jarva left Sentenced citing disdain for the music industry. However, in 2000 he re-emerged in the scene with The Black League and the album Ichor (Ιχωρ meaning "blood of gods" in Ancient Greek).

I vividly remember the metal outlets embracing and celebrating Ichor when it first came out, essentially prompting me to pick up the CD as soon as it arrived at the stores. Despite the horrific album cover, the CD booklet itself was of high quality with its hard pages, book smell, and a couple of photos of the band jamming in a small studio; simple but effective.

The sound of The Black League can be described as a continuation of the Amok trajectory but with better production, better performances, and more sophistication. For those unfamiliar, the sound of Sentenced during the Amok period was a mix of melodic death metal and heavy metal as made famous by Metallica, combining beautiful Northern melodies with excellent riffs that focus on hooks rather than technicality. On top of that, you get the unique vocals of Taneli Jarva that can be described as a rough, almost death metal Nick Cave. Yes, Amok had all the qualities to propel Sentenced to the metal pantheon.

Ichor redefined the Amok sound in numerous ways. Firstly, the attitude is generally more aggressive and more energetic in the fast-paced songs like "One Colour: Black" and "We Die Alone". There is such a strong sense of urgency and passion driven by the performances and amplified by the great production that feels raw but is sonically super balanced. Extraordinary guitar work and solos from the guitar players make you want to grab your guitar, connect it to a wah pedal, and solo your way to the stars.

Secondly, Ichor focuses a lot more on atmosphere, especially on the slow-paced songs like the hypnotic "Ozymandias" and the ballad-y "Winter Winds Sing". I don't know if the band intentionally aims for this wintery, northern vibe, or if it emerges naturally from the choice of melodies and production. But it feels so vivid and so honest, like you are walking outside and breathing the air on a calm, snowy night. Lyrically, the band also follows a more personal and philosophical approach that intensifies the atmosphere further.

Indeed, we established that Ichor is a continuation and redefining of Amok, but, all in all, it's a great collection of songs. While revisiting this album for this review, I realized that it contains no fillers; yes, there are catchier songs than others and definitely some fan favorites, but, overall, it's a satisfying experience front to back. The Black League simply knows how to write a good song with a comprehensive structure, interesting parts, and fulfilling choruses.

Ichor is The Black League's best effort to date. It's beautiful, it's heavy, it's catchy, it's honest, it has everything you want from metal. It is a shame that the band did not achieve the levels of success it deserved in the years following this release. Nevertheless, it is not too late for anyone to give this album a spin and appreciate its rich offerings.