Watain – The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain
Release Date: 29th April 2022
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal
FFO: Dissection, Mayhem, Emperor, Bathory.
Review By: Paul Cairney
The importance to Swedish metal held by Watain cannot be underestimated. It is now 22 years since they unleashed their debut studio album, an album that was instantly accepted by the hyper-judgemental back metal fans of the day. Their influence on Swedish metal is such that they warrant their own chapter in Ika Johannesson and Jon Jefferson Klingberg’s excellent book Blood Fire and Death – The Swedish Metal Story – an excellent and informative read if you fancy it. It is therefore slightly surprising that The Agony and Ecstasyof Watain is only their 7th studio album in this time.
Recorded live in a church in Sweden, the album is as intense as you would expect a Watain album to be. After all, in Blood Fire and Death Metal, vocalist and 1 of 3 founding members still with the band, Erik Danielsson states that he has, ‘Never been able to relate to black metal in a light-hearted way’. It is this singular vision, and the band’s approach to true black metal, that helps set this album apart from other modern pretenders.
10 tracks long and lasting 49 minutes or so, The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain is over in a flash. The tracks scream by, not allowing the listener to catch their breath, crushing your lungs with superb guitar work and pummelling drums. Even in one of the more consistent black metal albums I’ve heard in a long time, there are still a handful of tracks that stand out. ‘Serimosa’ is outstanding, with an immediate, enveloping riff that immediately captures you in its web. ‘Funeral Winter’ is another superbly executed slab of the blackest of metal. It is respectful of the roots of the 3rd wave of black metal, but is somehow presented in a modern fashion. A feat that, perhaps, only true black metal bands can achieve.
By far, the biggest issue the band, and the entire genre to be fair, has is that it will not appeal to the average metal fan. If you are not seeking to expand your metal horizons, being perfectly happy listening to the less extreme genres, then there is absolutely no black metal album that will tempt you. The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain will not change your mind, which is a shame.
However, if you want something a little bit different, a little bit more challenging, then Watain have released almost the perfect modern black metal album and so it would be a worthy way to begin what will end up being a fascinating journey into the genre.
On the other hand, if you are a fan of any band within the genre, then The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain is a must-listen.
(4.5 / 5)
