Band: Harkonin
Title: Detest
Label: Battlegod Productions
Distribution: Bertus / Twilight / Sure Shot Worx
Release date: Autumn 2010
Review: CD

Missourian formation Harkonin, with members of e.g. Warghoul, Fistula (the Saint Louis, Missouri-based Death Metal band, not the Doom / Sludge formation from Ohio) and Null Dynamo, return with a fourth full length (duration: over an hour), the second on Battlegod Productions (the former album, Ghanima, was released through this very same Australian label, in 2006/2007).
Since the early years (the band was formed in 2002, if I had been informed correctly), Harkonin created a fierce form of blackened War / Thrash Metal, and this approach has been perfected throughout the years. Each recording was just better than the former one and this time is not different. Detest goes on in the vein of all former material, yet the song structures have been composed with an increased intensity and craftsmanship. This time, the album contains, again, elements from Old School (Doom) Death Metal, and this puts its mark onto the total atmosphere, more than before. The solid tracks are very down-earthed and little more varying than it was the case in the past (era Seductress Of The Unlight / Sermons Of Anguish).
The songs sometimes are rather straight, plain, uncompromising, yet more than once, the injection of technical elements (tremolo drum patterns, fierce and fiery solos, the vocal approach etc) is almost refreshing. It’s like the sweet taste of warm blood on your lips, like the joy of raspy pleasures, the yin and yang of sado and maso…
Consider it some sort of old-fashioned Death / Black / Thrash / War Metal-mixture of Celtic Frost, Destruktor, Aeternus, Deicide, Nattefrost / Carpathian Forest, Vital Remains and Angelcorpse.
Note: the album features guest vocals by Gorgoroth of Baltak / Buio Omega / Avathalor-fame.

85/100

Ivan Tibos.