Reviews: Watain – The Wild Hunt

Watain

The Wild Hunt

Century Media

Street Date: 08.20

Watain = Dissection + (early) Emperor + (early) Satyricon

I don’t quite understand why it is that Watain has become such a polarizing band in the metal underground—people either love them or absolutely despise them. Me? I like them quite a bit. Sure, they have moments of weakness (bits and pieces of their last full-length effort, Lawless Darkness), but, overall, they are solid, dark, and they have a groove to them that most black metal bands either ignore or would kill to have.

The Wild Hunt is a fairly logical continuation of Lawless Darkness, but is much more brutal and direct—cold-sounding and almost entirely without low-end. It almost assuredly won’t win them any new fans, but it might change the minds of the folks that love to hate them—excellent release from these Swedish Luciferians. –Gavin Hoffman