Aamongandr

With a name like Satanic Warmaster, I was expecting some raw black metal or perhaps some bestial black/death, but their album Aamongandr is quite melodic while still retaining a lot of the sharp, biting chill of black metal. Keyboards are present but only to fill out the sound and don't try to take center stage, which is left for the high, dry rasping vocals and tremolo picked guitars. It's an entertaining album without being overly distinctive or having any one song that stands out as a signature track. Fans of Finnish black metal will probably get the most enjoyment out of this, but anyone that likes melodic black metal will probably find something to like about it, even if it doesn't replace any favorites.