Varathron – Glorification Under the Latin Moon (2020)

Varathron burst into black metal as an outsider, playing Mercyful Fate inspired black metal melodies at a doom metal pace, but never understood what made them appreciated, which was the intense sense of a descending mood with possibility around each corner that this album evoked.

Since that time, the band released one faster album (Walpurgisnacht) which shattered its moods, and then a series of albums which tried to be melodic, mid-paced heavy metal with black metal vocals, since that seemed smart to label people, hipster writers, and semi-articulate black metal fans at the time.

Glorification Under the Latin Moon consists of His Majesty At the Swamp played live after tracks from their newer material, all of which have been given the jazzy mid-tempo heavy metal makeover and are worthless. While it is gratifying to hear the older songs, they are played with no understanding of what made them great.

This means that we are hearing new Varathron re-interpret the old, even in subtle ways, that break the atmosphere and trivialize the feeling. It is as if intervening years have trained them in the “right” way to play music, and that has disrupted the ancient spirit they once channeled.

Tags: ,

17 thoughts on “Varathron – Glorification Under the Latin Moon (2020)”

  1. UM-Li says:

    I don’t know, man. This rigid, precise interpretation really makes their old work charmless.

  2. Flying Kites says:

    https://www.rooshv.com/female-butt-obsession-is-a-gateway-to-homosexuality

    Female Butt Obsession Is A Gateway To Homosexuality

    This would make a decent album title.

    1. Doug says:

      Oh boy, no replies for this I see (sigh). Roosh is no slouch when it comes to reality, but is he being serious here? If so he might consider that the enemy wants people as freaked out by butts as they are. To be as succinct and awkward as possible: every bodily inch of the opposite sex of a person’s tribe is to be revered. Gender is after all determined at the chromosomal level, so refusing to fulfill your significant other’s request for a butt massage because poo comes out there or it’s “homosexual” may in fact be “homosexual.” Couples in a healthy society will indulge the greatest of life’s sensory gifts (hair, hands, arms, feet, knees, ears, butts, every single last inch as stated), or for God’s sake at least not emote over catching cooties for all the world to see.

      Well if Varathron was trying to be provocative looks like they succeeded!

      https://youtube.com/watch?v=hwp4UCbJoRg

      1. bloodypulp says:

        ass is class and this new varathron sounds like decent old crust

      2. Flying Kites says:

        Roosh mixes in trolling with his messages to rifle the weirdos sending him death threats. His topic was obsessiveness over the buttocks to be clear, and ye, poop is dirty.

    2. Gary says:

      The artwork sucks anyways. There is nothing black metal about this.

  3. Michelle Obama says:

    This is sad to hear.

    It reminds me of how fellow countrymen Necromantia inexplicably released a sped up version of their debut. Totally ruined the dark atmosphere. Listening to the two versions side by side is like navigating a cave with an Indiana Jones torch vs. doing so in one with blinding white LED lights plastered all over the place.

    1. Sedsu says:

      Which one is the sod up version?

      1. Michelle Obama says:

        I think it’s the 2005 CD release.

        Below is a good side by side example. When they go into the lead section a few minutes it should be obvious that that it was not originally written to be that fast.

        Original:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Y9gP8GEA0

        Remaster:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PtrgYw2KBI

        It’s not a huge problem, but it sucks knowing there are people out there who have missed out on a better version of great music. A glaring example is the portion after that meandering solo. The original version destroys the newer one.

        For what it’s worth – and keep in mind this is coming from a random youtube comment – the difference was apparently not intentional. Anyway…

        1. Sedsu says:

          Thanks for this info, had no idea about it, I will have to check out which master is the new Osmose rerelease

  4. zero understanding says:

    but i thought you could play that album on a kazoo and it would still be great

  5. ignominious says:

    If they didn’t understand what made their music appreciated, they’re not exactly alone.

  6. Birkenhain says:

    https://youtu.be/t5hKvbcle5M A new Sorcier des Glaces track from the upcoming album

  7. Ronald Grump says:

    The main songwriter in the debut was probably the Zemial guy, who left the band after it. That said, Walpurgisnacht is still good.

    1. Buttcock says:

      Don’t forget Jim “Mutilator” Patsouris, he was a main driving force in Rotting Christ AND Varathron, after his departure both bands sinked in mediocrity.

  8. Al-Shaytan-Al-Akbar says:

    Here’s what the composer of “His Majesty…”, Mutilator, plays these days:
    https://yothiria.bandcamp.com/releases

Comments are closed.

Classic reviews:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z