Battlespells, the second album from this Finnish duo, named after a Vlad Tepes song, was one of the more authentic 90s styled black metal albums of recent memory, up there with releases from Northwind Wolves, Mist From the Mountains, Pestilent Hex, and I Am The Night over the last few years.

And even with a 4-year wait, Lord Vrăjitor and Revenant Strigoi have dug in their spiked boots to continue their locked-in 90s sound that culls from early (‘Stormblast‘ era) Dimmu Borgir, Abigor, Emperor, Obtained Enslavement, and such.

It’s still mildly symphonic (though slightly increased from Battlespells), so not quite as majestically or classically laced as Emperor or as pompous as Dimmu, but it still has that early 90s black metal keyboard tone that adds some regality to the songs, along with a brittle but clear production that’s light on the bottom end. But the riffs, these are where the duo shines with spot-on nostalgic frosty, tremolo-picked riffs galore.

After the 4+ minute instrumental number “Warpoems & Tragedies”, the album starts for real with “Invoking the Retribution Eidolon” with shrill Abigor-ish ferocity, recalling the likes of Orcblut and Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age. “A Hungering Yoke” and ” Tartaros Offering” are two of the album’s standouts with superbly classic riffage that recalls all the greats from the era, especially “Tartaros Offering”, which is probably my favorite track on the entire album as it really hits home that Orcblut vibe (but with no wardrums dammit- but Darkenhold’s new album fills my wardrum void).

Standouts in the album’s second half include the steady, slightly more mid-paced “Uncreation’s Dragon”, which reeks of Emperor’s In the Nightside Eclipse, especially the synths, and “His Enigmatic Ways” with its cool little, swaying keyboard break.

Album closer “Daemonic Supremacy Enthroned” again returns to the shrill, busier Abigor isms of the opener before the closing instrumental track “Torch of Magickal Arte” puts a bow on a fine, and even improved, follow-up to the Battlespells.

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