‘Atropos Doctrina’ contains eight demonic tracks that emphasize atmospheric guitar patterns which also lean towards doom metal. The dark evil vibe of the guitars in the opening track ‘Saliga äro de dödfödda’ showcases the inclination of the guitar melodies towards black metal atmosphere with  raw and ominous riffing. Likewise, the malefic vocals spread their ominousness throughout the mid-tempo drums, as the guitar provides a share of tremolo hooks and builds up a strong opener for the album.

The guitars sound darker and this has been clearly emphasized in the previous albums. This doesn’t mean that the earlier albums like ‘Relics of Sulphur Salvation’ and ‘Deimos Sanktuarium’ lacked any quality. Instead the quartet utilizes a range of double bass, lead guitar melodies and tempo changes. The guitar hooks diffuse like the plague and the gloomy atmosphere in the next song ‘Kom dödens tysta ängel’ takes its effect. The riffs are mostly black metal, composed of tremolos, melodies and chunky riffs, but gradually shaping up the album to take a darker vibe. Given the musical suspense, the vocals are menacing, however. The new album truly elevates the melodic work of the guitars.

The approach is balanced between creating a cavernous, eerie feel with the riffing quality and the slower passages. The tremolos and the technical skill of the guitarists Mattias Frisk and Jimmy Johansson provide a doomful mood to the music, creating a menacing aura on ‘Ofredsår’. The song is delivered in classic Swedish fashion. All these elements are injected in the framework of the Scandinavian death/black metal sound. The album is varied and the tremolos are catchy, unleashing infectious melodic shifts. They are meticulously contrasted with the slower parts where the drums and the blackened riffing churn moments of evil.

This perceptive take on music utilizes a wide range of excellent riffs. Hence, the majority of the songs are played in mid-tempo style. The offset of the melodic hooks and the catchy drum patterns make these mid-tempo shifts full of thrills. Vanhelgd‘s musical formula channels some great ideas with masterful guitar technique and diabolic growling  to create a misanthropic aura. The sudden blast beats inject some aggression on ‘I ovigd jord’. The choruses are given an outstanding and triggering eruption, without emphasizing the blast beats which clearly shows the high level of Mathias Westman‘s drumming skills, and from the demonic aggression the dual vocals sound truly dark.

The slower guitar sections enhance the atmosphere; with the drumming being raw and kicking at higher tempos on ‘Atropos Hymnarium’. These variations underscore the performance throughout the track. The frenzied frailness of the growling funnel feelings of despair. The guitar on this track generates a sense of horror and the drums kick forward like a bulldozer through the unhinged riffing. The melodic tremolos on ‘Galgdanstid’ and ‘Kerernas törst’ are full of gnarled riffing and have a similar pattern to the previous song.

The overall atmosphere of the sixth album has a cold and sinister feel. The vocals are venomous in display, but show how Vanhelgd has tackled the modern melodic style of death/black metal. The churning guitar on the songs is a pure manifestation of high-quality musicianship as the drums quickly settle into a raw mid-range tempo; topped by menacing riffs. The final track “Gravjordsfrid” ensures a superb dark melodic statement from these Swedes. Vanhelgd brings a hellish and gripping ride through the approximately seven-minute track, the slow epic guitar hooks come straight from the cavernous depth where the sleek and atmospheric lead guitar borders on sinister black metal.

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