Naglfar - Harvest (2007)

     I'll be the first to admit that I can be a member of the late train when it comes to getting into a particular band or album that should be considered more well known to a black metal fan. There's no exception to Naglfar when I got their album Harvest, and as I should have known based purely on recommendation alone, the entire album would not disappoint. Can you go wrong with Swedish melodic black metal? Well.. okay, yeah, sometimes. But I'll save that for another post. Maybe.

     Harvest brings out what is best about modern black metal. The album is well produced and clean, yet still holds grit that gives it the dismal atmosphere deserving of any good Swedish black metal band. While tracks can sometimes seem like they run together with a bit of lack of variety, there are some seriously killer riffs and breakdowns throughout the entire album, most memorably midway through "Way Of The Rope", that are complimented by undeniably dark lyrics and raspy vocal tone. If you aren't immediately pulled into this album by the explosive first track, "Into The Black", this album won't be for you. Melodic riffs followed up by blast beats means Harvest delivers a much deeper, extreme approach into the world of "extreme" melodic/black metal.