Band's List Black Metal Ragnarok (NOR) Collectors of the King

I wanted my review for this very album to be posted in this time of the year, for I still remember how long I waited for this release to be released last year, I kept hoping to hear this album till the last day of the year 2009, but it just wasn't managed to be released till March 22nd 2010.

This album has quenched my thirst for something Norwegian black metal after the frequent failures of some of my favorite Norwegian bands like Darkthrone and Enslaved.

Standing as a four-piece metal band since 2008, Ragnarok again brought some native Norwegian art to the scene, saving the name of Norway from total humiliation. From the very beginning, this release asks no permission to conquer your mind, the 55 seconds long "Resurrection" foretells what exactly is going to happen throughout the journey into this pure black world.

A mighty start of "Stabbed by the Horns" to leave you somehow unable to stop the music, you feel like longing for more, you just wait, amazed with these impressive drums and how they are being used in a remarkable technique, especially when they re-launch the song again somewhere in the middle of it. The distortion guitars used are perfect, perfect in tone, perfect in performance and above all a perfectly composed piece of art.

Mostly, the drums keep the fast pace throughout the album, with a slight variation in speed every now and then. And for the guitars, they frequently give birth to some melodies which one cannot hear but in pure black metal, and as I said before, these guitars are used perfectly to produce a true Norwegian masterpiece.

The second track "Burning Earth" comes to state the superiority of this release, and to save Ragnarok a unique place upon the map of black metal, especially when the album continues at the same rate it started with.

The vocals are so convincing and good, not really unique, no real techniques used in them, but they are absolutely very appropriate for such a release. The lyrics are quite interesting and well written and organized, and there's an amazing connection between the title of each song and its lyrics.

Also, it is worthy to mention that the cover art is very beautiful, it will keep you looking at it for a moment, trying to figure out what your eyes are trying to convey to your brain. And of course, the title chosen for this release "Collectors of the King" is another point that counts for Ragnarok.

One last word, if you haven't given those guys a shot yet, it's high time to do so.