When I looked at the promo copy of the new album and saw the first track was “Black Terror Metal” I thought this was a compilation cd, I have a demo tape by that name. It turns out to be a re-recording of the classic song. Luciferin Valo is the 22nd Azaghal release in my possession, which kind of surprised me. Granted many of those are split releases and demo tapes, but that is still a large output since 1998. The other thing that surprised me was that I had so many releases from a band I don’t really consider myself a big fan of. I seem to acquire each new release out of habit, yet I always enjoy them. Luciferin Valo is no exception.
As for style, this is classic Finnish black metal, with its emphasis on simple, unencumbered riffs that pull you through the music with ease. Once again Azaghal proves that the best direction to look for quality black metal is backwards, composing ten more retro would be classics for digestion by rabid fans.
If you count yourself among the faithful grab this one up, if by some cruel twist of fate you have never heard Azaghal, now is a good time to give it a try. Quality Finnish metal is on display once again. Favorite tracks include “Ilmestyskirjan Ratsastajat” “Hyvästit Maailmalle” and “Azaghal Terror Cult.”
