The black metal genre as a whole is a unique style of music. It has all kinds of different substyles like symphonic, melodic, depressive, ambient and many others as well as just straight forward and traditional like the music of ARROGANT DESTRUKTOR. The two man English black metal project that has two years as duo sounds as if they have been working together since the first wave of black metal. The group have mastered that certain style once found in the music of early Mayhem and Bathory but made it their own by adding their own style into it. Amidst The Blackest Void is a compilation of previous tracks from their first two demos which received great reviews amongst the black metal underground.
For those who have not heard Arrogant Destruktor, they are like a blast from the past but brought into modern times. At times, you can hear influence of thrash and NWOBHM in their guitar and drum work as well which seems to help make them stand out anymore. The track “Hate Legions Ride!” not only was the title track from their last demo but also has that Mayhem meets Iron Maiden feel with a mix of heavy metal, black metal and thrash all in one. Another track that stands out is “Gold Is The Flesh Of The Sun God.” The riffs and ambient tones are similar to Bathory with the ferocity of Immortal. The drums don’t just blast beat while the guitars do tremelo but the instrumentals actually form a structure that is not frequent among the black metal scene. The vocals stay true to the black metal sound while at times throwing in some death metal vocals as well keeping the songs fresh and different.
Many complain that black metal has bred too many bands but Arrogant Destruktor stand out above the rest. They keep the saying true that if something from the past works, don’t change it but they have also enhanced it and added to it. The band could be said to have created a new hope for the genre because most of us who are fans of black metal like it obviously when the music is done right. If you are a fan of the real, true black metal like Mayhem, Bathory and Burzum but like the influence and riffs of heavy metal, then you need to get a copy of this album.
MY VOTE:
5.0 / 5.0
