ENTHRONED Sovereigns CD (2014)

Belgian black metal isn't supposed to sound this relentless. Enthroned have been dragging the genre through their particular brand of Satanic occultism since the mid-nineties, and Sovereigns is the record that reminded everyone why they matter.

Released in 2014 on Agonia Records, Sovereigns is Enthroned at their most focused, a crushing convergence of orthodox black metal doctrine and genuine ritualistic menace. Nornagest and company stripped back any lingering atmospheric excess and delivered something lean, cold, and genuinely hostile. Tracks like Of Feather and Bone and ${13} hit with the kind of earned conviction that separates the lifers from the tourists. If you came to black metal through the Norwegian second wave but want to dig deeper into the Belgian underground, this is a logical and rewarding next step.

Full length album, CD format, Agonia Records, 2014. Nine tracks.

Fans of: Marduk, Dark Funeral, Gorgoroth, 1349, Taake.