Band: Valkyrja
Title: The Invocation Of Demise
Label: Metal Blade Records
Distribution: Rough Trade Benelux
Release date: 17/07/2009
Review: CD

The Invocation Of Demise was written and recorded between 2005 and 2007, and the album got originally released through the German label Northern Silence Productions. And now Metal Blade will make this recording more accessible to the rest of the world???
Anyway, the material (duration: forty four minutes) was recorded and mixed at the famous (Black / Death) studio Necromorbus with Tore Stjerna, known from his studio assistance to bands as, for example, Nominon, Repugnant, Tribulation, Damnation Army or In Battle. And Tore S. being one of the most important producers / engineers nowadays within the Swedish (Black) Metal scene corresponds sardonically with a full yet grim sound, perfectly darkening the whole effort.
The Invocation Of Demise (almost completely) lacks of originality. As a matter of fact, I have heard most of it before, at least the approach and constructions are pretty similar to so many Swedish colleagues. Yet at the same time it is impossible to ignore the über-qualities of both compositions and performance! F*ck, what a power, what a confidence, what a brutality and strength! All details are well-thought and go well with each other: instruments and grunts, tempo, sound, … A spot of light within the current (Scandinavian) Black Metal-scene? Slow versus fast, melodic versus brutal, grim versus even grimmer, it’s all part of the devilish deal! Not one single moment the album bores me; on the contrary, the whole is inspirational and driven with sadistic pleasure, the way we do like it, don’t we?!
Recommended to fans of Dark Funeral, Necrophobic, Watain, Marduk, Setherial etc.

92/100

Ivan Tibos.