Satanic North - Satanic North (2024)

Unleashing a fierce Black Metal debut, Satanic North comes out of Finland and is ready to rival any of the genre’s best bands with their raw and punishing style. In this self-titled full-length release, the band cranks out ten tracks and nearly 40 minutes of all-out war with their incisive style. Did we mention that this outfit also features Petri Lindroos and Janne Parviainen of Ensiferum fame? With this line-up we get a killer debut filled with old-school vibes.

Opening with “War”, we get some foul opening riffs that show the band means business. Having that old-school 90’s BM vibe, the track quickly escalates to all-out rage with blast beats and strong shrieks. One of the band’s strengths is the raw power of their sound, with tracks like “Arise”, “Village”, and “Hatred and Blasphemy” being quite punishing, in part thanks to its double vocal onslaught, and yet featuring some clean and modern production.

Oozing Immortal “Battles in the North” vibes, “Four Demons” has to be our favorite track and its intense headbanging-inducing sinister sections. With “Behind the Inverted Cross” having a certain Gorgoroth-esque edge, and “Vultures” with its killer double kick and slower tempo moments, the band showcases very diverse songwriting skills and a knack to keep things as simple and yet crushing as possible.

For those looking into dissonant and bleak soundscapes, “Kothi kuolemaa” is one of those demoralizing tracks. Overall, “Satanic North” is one killer debut release from a very polished and determined, relatively, new band. While there are tons of Black Metal bands, in terms of quality and intensity, there are few like Satanic North. If you enjoy the genre and want something retro that sounds well produced when played loudly, this is the release for you.

Label: Reaper Entertainment

Release: April 19th, 2024

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Finland