Armagedda - I Am
Nordvis Produktion
Black Metal
4 songs ()
Release year: 2010
Armagedda
Reviewed by Alex

While digging graves somewhere in Sweden somebody at Nordvis Produktion has found the ghost of Armagedda, a Swedish black metal band laid to rest by the duo of Graav and A somewhere around 2004. With three full-lengths, the last one impressive Ond Spiritism: Djæfvulens Skalder, this pair felt they expressed everything they had pent up and disbanded. Apparently, there were some words left unsaid …With Armagedda we are talking kvlt, on par with Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum and Watain. It is hard to believe the musicians composing Armagedda have moved on to things more folky and nature oriented with Lonndom, but seeing that project is also signed to Nordvis, perhaps it is not a mere coincidence the Armagedda “missing piece” ended up being discovered.

Being a lost recording, thus not intended to be released at the time, one can’t possibly expect a crisp sound, but raw and unadulterated black metal flows freely on I Am. The bassless sound is the norm with this style, but I Am is also unfortunately drumless. The drums are basically not heard on this EP depraving this riff-fest emanating from some damp dirty basement of its all too essential skeleton. You would be sitting there guessing, trying to feel the blast outline on Den Skrivna Eskatologin or rolling massive double bass on I Am.

The guitar riffs, however, attack on multiple levels, clamoring, rattling, sounding like a bloody siren you can’t turn off in your head, right after a crusty Motorheady opening in Cold Eon. Transfixed with these slicing riffs, I caught myself gazing aimlessly, drums or no drums, feeling a little bit of Horna with the Nordic quacking and grunting at the beginning of De Vanhelgade. The best track on the EP, hands down, is the title cut I Am, no wonder it was the only one ever presented by Armagedda during their 2002 Marching Towards Christian Extermination tour. Slower tempo and presenting expansive melody and English lyrics breathed out from considerable lung depth, this song has cleaner moments of desperation and could especially benefit if drums were recorded properly.

Assigning a quote to this would be inappropriate as those who followed Armagedda while it was around would not need convincing to seek this out. Those oblivious to the band’s existence – stay that way, I Am is not the place to start.

Killing Songs :
I Am
Alex quoted no quote
Other albums by Armagedda that we have reviewed:
Armagedda - Ond Spiritism reviewed by Daniel and quoted 83 / 100
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