Asagraum - Dawn Of Infinite Fire - Cassette

Alas, the second album from Holland's coven of witches has arrived under the ominous (and prescient) title Dawn of Infinite Fire! Quite accurately, Dawn of Infinite Fire sees Asagraum burning with equally intensity in songwriting, execution, and atmosphere, staying true to their original aims whilst pushing their classicist sound further into the present. Granted, that blast-from-the-past classicism is inescapable - this is pure, traditional BLACK METAL above all - but not once across Dawn of Infinite Fire does that hinder their timeless expression. If anything, this is the sound of Asagraum at their most anthemic and triumphant, marching forward with obsidian austerity, reflecting their prolific presence on the live front: tangibly physical Black Metal, played with passion and authenticity and not augmented by cheap studio trickery. Brazen that expression might be - not to overstate the fact, but most nowadays Black Metal hides in the shadows - but Asagraum continue to sound fresh among that modern BM landscape, outstripping the prevailing trends and the pretenders who enable them.