Being one of the underground bands Satanic Warmaster retains its orthodox status among the fans of black metal, and brings the extreme tradition of rawness right into your face. The strong influences of classic black metal appear to have been strengthened by the constant blast beats and the tremolo-picked riffs. The opening track “Bafomet” sets the tone for the album and demonstrates the sheer power of the furious drums, the finest moments of this track are when the tremolos weave the cold freezing melodies. The songwriting embodies the roots as you can recall the glorious old days of the second wave black metal, “Aamongandr” renders a kind of rawness that can only be described as pure and evil.

It won’t take you long to realize that the new album brings a powerful onslaught from the inflicting drums, harsh-pitched vocals, and trademark tremolo-picked riffs. The following track “Duke’s Ride (Ride of the Spectral Hooves) offers sonic modification to the composition with the majestic sound of the keyboards adding epic passages to the guitar galore. The tempo is repeated this time with the guitars accompanying the synth lines and providing beautiful landscapes and the acoustic passages that come later with a touch of bombast. Satanic Warmaster enhanced its mid-tempo range by utilizing the synth and this is to say the song takes a rather smooth approach by unveiling the classic black metal elements.

Next is “Berserk Death” which is brought by more melodic and atmospheric moments that will capture the listener, and while there are plenty of catchy passages and heavy guitar barrages blasting over the ferocious drums. It comes with a clear determination to see the difference between “Fimbulwinter” and the newest output, the absolute clarity of the instruments including the vocals allows for the synth parts to add a symphonic sound that matches the thundering percussion. The remaining songs of “Aamongandr” move between fast tempos in which the guitars shine with the melodic tremolos.

“The Eye of Satan” is embellished with tolling bells and bombastic synth arrangements, also the bass guitar isn’t out of the whole composition you can hear the bass lines coming in full force with the tremolo chords. While some songs have a subtle orchestration there are some medieval soundscapes adding some remarkable variations to the composition. The song structures are displayed in their most characteristic of the melodic flair of black metal, and the guitars are layered with the drums. The mid-tempo parts of each track offer plenty of effective tremolos, although the sixth album isn’t quite as abrasive as the older releases there is still a lot to praise here.

“Darkness… Triumphator” begins with a sound that is more familiar to the old Satanic Warmaster style, which brings the blasting drums into full force. The strongest appeal of this track would be the epic majestic synth hooks and the atmospheric tremolo patterns that are embedded into the composition. Once the song initiates you will behold the supreme majesty and the grimness of Werwolf‘s screeching vocals. “Barbas X Aamon” offers some ambient touches of classic Burzum, however, the new album showcases a rhythmic quality that is meticulously crafted and enhanced throughout the entire duration of 37 minutes, allowing the listener to grasp the guitar patterns.

Satanic Warmaster on “Aamongandr” emphasizes the slow guitar melodies and hypnotic rhythms, therefore, managing to bring some dramatic changes in the tone of the music as well as the cinematic elements that are strongly woven in the previous songs showing a fresh direction. Mastermind Werwolf aptly invokes exquisite themes of ambiance and atmospheric black metal while still keeping the aesthetic afresh and vibrant, therefore, “Aamongandr” is performed with such brilliance and mastery, this is one of the best albums in black metal that came out at the end of the year.

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