Nazghor are a Swedish black metal band and this is their eighth album.
Nazghor play old-school melodic black metal that drips with second wave darkness. On the 40-minute A World Ablaze, Nazghor capably showcase why their black metal is a cut above the norm. Get ready to immerse yourself in Nazghor’s fiery world.
The songs are sharp and aggressive, yet also carry melodic grandeur and understated symphonic majesty. The vocals are brutal and harsh. Rather than the standard set of screams, the singer’s voice is deeper and darker than you usually find in a band like this. It fits well with the music, putting an emphasis on the album as an assault on the listener first and foremost. Nazghor certainly have melodic and atmospheric components, and can be epic and stirring in places, (the ending section of Bathe in Ashes is particularly good), but I would argue that these aspects of the music exist only as part of their overall black metal attack. However, they remain a vital part of the Nazghor experience – A World Ablaze offers up a holistic vision for the band’s black metal, and if you were to remove any part of it, the whole would suffer, (the only exception being the interlude track Porta Atra, which is as utterly pointless as all interlude tracks usually are).
The key part of what makes A World Ablaze work so well is the strong songwriting. Nazghor have an intimate knowledge of black metal, and they put this to good use across the album. While this is absolutely second wave worship, Nazghor don’t exist purely in the past; A World Ablaze is forged from classic materials, which are then brought into the present by passion and skill. In other words, A World Ablaze is a damn good album, and the classic style is in good hands with Nazghor.
I very much enjoyed listening to this. If you’re a fan of the classic second wave era, then Nazghor should definitely be on your radar. A World Ablaze is a strong album, one that is worth exploring and spending some time with.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 