Unholy Craft – Saa Mørkt, Saa Mektig (2024)

Unholy Craft builds in the style of later Darkthrone with the pacing of Mayhem, delivering an enjoyable journey through melody meeting noise and pummeling d-beats and blast beats, which although somewhat fungible manages some unique riffs based in compelling rhythm accented by melody.

Unlike Darkthrone, this band aims more for an earlier style of black metal which does not emphasize continuous motion with shifting melody, but rather employs ordinary rhythm riffs and then layers melody into them before arriving at a final exposition at mid-pace with atmospheric melody and drums.

Perhaps not headed to the canon, this album which reconstitutes a past EP with newer tracks nevertheless provides a Norsk take on pre-Norsk black metal, and delivers a good ambience with enough motion and song structures culmination in revelations to maintain the spirit of this ancient genre.

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36 thoughts on “Unholy Craft – Saa Mørkt, Saa Mektig (2024)”

  1. • Walk the Path of Sorrow. • says:

    Pitted against efforts both dishonest and having lost a grasp of what black metal is about already back in the mid nineties, such as those presented by Satyricon’s 2nd, Gorgoroth’s 3rd & Mutiilations 1st official, they stand better chances for something worthy later on.

    1. Hvis Lyset Tar Oss raised the bar for the genre and effectively ended it.

      To be a black metal band after that is a much more difficult path and less likely to meet popularity.

      1. It's m'am says:

        Black metal is about breaking the rules, so how far can that go?

        The problem is that there’s no more rules to be broken, everyone is already hip ‘n edgy…

        1. No, it's 'ma'am' says:

          That’s the most dull and unimaginative definition of black metal I’ve ever heard. And, sadly, one hears it a lot.

        2. • walk the path of sorrow • says:

          Metal can be about affirming The Rule too, both breaking it & making it. There’s good and there’s bad, beautiful & ugly, strong vs weak, smart vs dumb, and so on. In that light, there are overall useful portions in any given dominant Culture, and Counterculture, of any era & even regardless of one’s personal tastes.

        3. Hessian Murderer of Black Death says:

          No. Black metal also has positive values. It rejects unworthy authority and extinguishes false light, but it does go because it wants to suppose the worthy and the true in their stead. If it were merely negative (“about breaking rules”) then it would be shitty whining protest rock, and lack power.

          Black metal is about things like honour, pride, glory, might, life (and death). This is apparent from the music itself without even understanding the lyrics.

          1. If it were merely negative (“about breaking rules”) then it would be shitty whining protest rock, and lack power.

            Black metal is about things like honour, pride, glory, might, life (and death). This is apparent from the music itself without even understanding the lyrics.

            Rule-breakers end up affirming the rule in a Hegelian stepladder; black metal stepped off of that and went back to the ancient ways.

          2. Svmmoned says:

            Exactly. At least part of the reason why black metal is now so weak is because bands are confused as to what its purpose actually supposed to be. And they tend to come to most idiotic conclusions, like that it’s supposed to be vulgar, ugly and negative. All this while black metal is dead because it has lost ability to create beauty and might.

        4. Black metal is about breaking the rules

          This strikes me as completely alien to black metal and I never heard it back in the day. Black metal was about asserting nature over bourgeois values.

          1. MAAAAAAAM says:

            No, you’re just ending up sounding like a Christian. Black metal is contradiction – stop trying to find the light, and accept destruction, or else you’re just another poser.

            God, you people really crave some serious sodomy.

            1. Sounds like some DSBM historical backwriting. Nein.

              1. Inverted Goat became upright says:

                Listen you autistic genius, I am fucking done listening to your moronic music, because all you’re doing is running around in circles. You wanna be black metal? Then fucking stop listening to it, it’s the most rebellious thing you can do if you really think about it.

                1. Black metal is like Pentti Linkola, Fred Nietzsche, and Arminius having a beach party with large amplifiers.

                  1. Read my jewish lips carefully: black metal is about I hate you so much I wanna fuck your brains out.

                    (Burzum is tranny musick… damn I wish I was a woman… what could’ve been…)

                2. Longballs says:

                  Isn’t a genre just a container for an array of techniques and convictions? Amd with a lot of variety. Infinite potential. Like any art or being that is truly alive.

      2. Cynical says:

        I know this is a controversial opinion around here, but nowadays I find “Filosofem” and the s/t to both be stronger than “Hvis Lyset Tar Oss”.

        1. The self-titled has always been the one I prefer to listen to, according to the data on my listening habits. Actually pairs really well with early Sepultura.

    2. Woman of Dork Desires says:

      How did Gorgoroth fuck up?

      1. • walk the path of sorrow • says:

        They aren’t that stellar to begin with. Their debut only thrives thanks to its consistency, much like debuts by Discharge & Dead Can Dance ( which makes ’em ideal for back 2 backs here, despite differences in moods & intent. In Antichrist they over – stretch their capacities, and fatefully produce a masterpiece, possibly following the recipe from Panzerfaust of a year before.

        1. Dead Can Dance wanted to be Joy Division, but could never get outside normal songwriting enough to the Devo/Kraftwerk edge that JD had. They made a smart choice to start writing medieval soundtrack music instead. The first Gorgoroth was released in 1994, the second two years later, so this scenario is plausible but my guess is that Ancient was also an influence on the second.

        2. microscope requisition says:

          the first 2 are spectacular and u have small pp

  2. Hessian Murderer of Black Death says:

    That track wasn’t trash

    1. Inquisitor says:

      Which track? Speak man, which one is it?

      1. Hessian Murderer of Black Death says:

        The one that you can listen to by clicking the button on this page

  3. Her boobs are calling me you think Irish don’t belong in Japan huh asshole?

    What do you call big jew tits? Who has dark blueish hair?

    Yum tittur bitch…

    Hey fuck you I wanna mix racially you gonna kill my kid if me and Christine fuck like jap Irish rabbits…

    Hehehehe…

    Hehe Irish Japanese vaginal blood rules bitches!!! Christine lasserre vagitron baby hehehe

    1. curio says:

      “What do you call big jew tits?”

      As useless as tits on a boar.

  4. Pelle says:

    Everything here is so old
    Everyone here is a dork
    I remember it as from a meme
    A performer in decline

  5. trad > black says:

    I can’t decide if that logo is genius or a gay chamber pop hipster’s attempt at the unreadable logo

  6. Black > Trad. says:

    How many great, & solid throughout, albums has traditional heavy metal produced? I can count about 6. Iron Maiden, Seventh Son.., Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, Hammerheart, & Twilight of the Gods. Black Metal offered way more in the top tier. Just admit it :) .

    1. Twilight of the Gods still sounds like a Pink Floyd, The Who, and King Crimson crossover to me. It is Jesus Christ Superstar for people looking for more than palliative cures.

    2. Hessian Murderer of Black Death says:

      To enjoy heavy metal, you should skip the shitty non metal tracks. There’s at least one on every album.

      1. Come on, “Changes” is a great song. Just kidding.

        1. Cynical says:

          I thought you liked Miasma?
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg2xkyXGZ-I

          (Also, check your email if you have not done so in the last day or two.)

          1. Heh. I enjoy Miasma but rarer now since I am deep into Dutch death metal.

    3. Engorged with disingenuousness and poop says:

      Judas Priest – Painkiller
      Brocas Helm – Into Battle
      Mercyful Fate – Melissa
      Iron Maiden – Killers
      Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell

      it doesn’t really matter which one is better, both styles have produced works of lasting beauty

      1. Judas Priest – Painkiller
        Mercyful Fate – Don’t Break the Oath
        Iron Maiden – Killers
        Budgie – Night Flight
        Motorhead – On Parole

        There are some works of greatness, with their potential waiting to be discovered by people who can use more than one technique at once and write songs where melody develops alongside structure.

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