1349 - The Infernal Pathway (Deluxe Edition) (2020) Hi-Res

Hellfire caught my ear when it was released but I didn't follow them again until I saw them open for Behemoth around the time they were releasing Massive Cauldron of Chaos. That was a killer album and I liked it better than the two prior after I went back and listened to them, so they were back on my radar in preparation for this release! In some ways I'm sure elitists will disregard this album, but this album is so expertly written and unique sounding, I can't bring myself to not list this as one of, if not, their best.

Not as obvious as Dark Throne's Old Star from earlier this year but there are elements of rock n roll (blackened rock, black and roll, whatever). There are certain riffs that hit the right button to vault you into that sound. It's mostly the guitars that convey this rather than the drums. At 3:58 on "Striding the Chasm" the whole band comes together to hit that vibe hard. There are some definite thrash moments that harkens back to certain older points in the careers of Marduk or Mayhem. These aren't common because most of the album is quite modern sounding in its execution. There's still some Gorgoroth guitar-work, specifically the song "Towers upon Towers". "Striding the Chasm" is probably the closest to the bands traditional style of previous albums. There are some really catchy moments, like the main lead riff on "Dodskamp". There's some interesting compositions to be had here, as well. The guitar work in the chorus of "Striding the Chasm" is also really catchy. Even the initial track's main riff is a lesson in writing aggressive but still having character. There's still some pretty morose moments, like the tone and feeling on "Deeper Still". It's not outright sad, but has a tension of frantic hopelessness.

Almighty Frost! He is one of my favorite black metal drummers from his years of inventive and atypical drumming style. Granted, his work in Satyricon and Gorgoroth is always far more memorable than his work in 1349. Not sure how that all works out but on their releases it is more traditional and of a standard variety, for the most part. The most interesting drumming on any song is for certain "Dodskamp". That song rips anyway, but each individual instrument is going above and beyond! "Stand Tall in Fire" and "Enter Cold Void Dreaming" also offer some interesting tricks from Frost.

Like I mentioned above, the guitars at many points sound like some of the guitar work Gorgoroth has put forth. A lot of tremolo open chords, quick palm-mutes (maybe a chug or three), then back to tremolo open chords again, all in rapid succession. They can shred, they can riff, they chug, there's a wide selection of leads to pilfer through. I already discussed how well-written the guitars are here so I won't go into that again. The guitars often will go up on the high end giving ample opportunity for the bass to show it's chops. It doesn't have all that much to offer, but is still nice here when the guitars get out of the tonal range.

I didn't realize it at first but the volume is insanely quiet on streaming. The CD version is at a normal sound volume and I was able to leave it on the normal settings I listen to other albums at. I had to crank it on my computer to hear it well when streaming it (I listen to music at a lower volume as it is, but the first time in a while that I had to actually turn it up). Other than that, the mixing is perfect.

After 8 listens of this album I can safely say it is my personal favorite. I usually write my review after 3-5 complete listens, but I just couldn't quite believe how much I loved this album. Then it only grew on me from there. Really the only track I can safely say I don’t love is "Enter Cold Void Dreaming". It would still pass just fine on most of their other albums, but sandwiched between such amazing material, it loses some of it's shine. It may not be their most raw, or most black metal, but that's the beauty of it. It allows itself room to breathe, experiment and become one of the most unique pieces of music in extreme metal this year, and really in recent memory. Satyricon's Deep Callth Upon Deep also comes to mind, but this album stays a little truer to itself. Do yourself a favor and listen to the majesty of black metal on The Infernal Pathway.