Nattravnen - Kult of the Raven

There’s a strategy that from time to time bands follow which is beginning an album one way, on first track, and following a completely direction on the other tracks. That’s what we find here on Nattravnen with “Kult of the Raven” and its nine tracks. Opening track “The Night of the Raven” begins with some noises alluding of ravens. “The Night of the Raven” is pretty fast and dark, well, faster than darker, because from where I’m standing, when you speed up the tempo, you lose much of intended darkness. To me, a dark track has to be slower, it’s one of the mandatory items obliged to pass that impression. Following track “Suicidium, the Seductress of Death” has much more of the dark spirit due to its tempo breaks, a bit slower than the leading tempo of the song. Vocals are darker and more intense. It helps a lot too to create the intended aura. “Suicidium, the Seductress of Death” means a lot more to“Kult of the Raven” than“The Night of the Raven” in terms of darkness and the black spirit which track by track is paved slowly.

Meanwhile the changes made in tracks to introject the spirit, there are also some features that are changed to get the intent done, and this one is the vocals which get a bit muffled and intense as if it were vociferation. From “Return to Nevermore” on I guess that Nattravnen achieved what they really intended which is a dark, dense, but still intense vibe. Vocals vociferate more, guitars get slower and some background choirs are added. Formula found, it is then repeated until the ninth track.

“Kult of the Raven” isn’t, intentionally, a linear album. From time to time it’s the intention, or need, of a band to make all this change of heart. I, myself, like it. It’s a way to have two or three albums in one.

Nattravnen “Kult of the Raven” will be released on December 07th via Transcending Obscurity Records.

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