(Black Metal) Urgehal - Massive Terrestrial Strike - 1998, FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

What the fuck, a black metal band from Norway that actually plays black metal? What's the world coming to? So far these freaks have puked up three albums (well, the last one is more of a long EP), and since i've yet to hear Arma Christi, i'll go right ahead and say that Massive Terrestrial Strike is their crowning achievement. This is pure Bathory and Darkthrone worship - nothing even remotely original, but they spit out their hateful black art with such fury and bile that one can't help but be impressed.
Initially, I was somewhat taken aback at the beginning of "The Sodomizer" - that's a total rock'n'roll drumbeat right there. Never to worry, once the guitars kick in it's pure blackened vomit. Plenty of string-bending riffs, ripped throat vocals and tempo variations are thrown into the mix here, particularly on the epic "Supreme Evil" (complete with some great, retarded lyrics about Satan raping christians) and the trudging "Image Of The Horned King". " The Saturnine Denomination" is no slouch either, total Under A Funeral Moon thievery on this one. Then there's the morbid dirge of the closing ditty "Flames Of Black Candles", which summons a glut of depressive psychosis that makes me want to sacrifice goats (or even sheep, which are far more easily obtained around these parts...)
With only 7 tracks in 36 minutes, this is certainly a bit too short for it's own good (much like the first 3 Bathory albums in that respect), but there's not a second wasted. So if you think the Norwegian scene is now comprised entirely of posturing fags (Faustcoven being the other obvious exception), go check out some Urgehal and prepare to be unpleasantly surprised into giving yourself whiplash.
(c) chaossphere /metal-archives.com/

Trondr Nefas - lead kjettingsag and voice of hate
Enzifer - 6 string strongulation
Chiron - electrocuting bass strings