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INITIATION
An Age Of Darkness

Self-released (2022)
Rating: 8/10

After a couple of demos and a single, Stockholm, Sweden-based metal posse Initiation finally releases its debut full-length album, An Age Of Darkness.

Following a subtle introduction the band rips into ‘Ride The Tempest Winds’, a striking black / death serenade drenched in sickness and born from wild percussive hammerings and devilish axe and bass work that strips flesh.

Thankfully, this isn’t just another band imitating the classic old school vibe. Instead, we get a nasty, evil South American aggression bolstered by the seething, harsh vocal sneers of a chap named Fatalistic Fornicator, who heads this deranged trio of musicians. Drummer Antediluvian Arsonist sounds as deranged as his name suggests, while bassist Ecclesiastical Exterminator provides unhinged bursts before being sent back to the asylum.

This is one hell of a vicious storm to contend with as the threesome puke out fast, rusty black metal, but the hostility is steeped in melody too. ‘Endless Scorn’ is a blast furnace of hammering percussion and rhythmic horror. Forget the heavily touted Devil Master as masters of such a trade, Initiation is where it’s at, rushing like black frozen gales in a tunnel of ice. This thing just spits venom and races with the Devil, and wins easily just by its devilish guitar tone.

‘Dying From Its Own Malice’ does not sound like a Swedish band. Instead, the flames of Chilean darkness do combat with black shards of ice cast from Brazilian caverns as the trio laps at Bathory, Sodom and first wave madness, enticing into the suffocating smoke of ‘Holy Conqueror’ which rattles with old Venom and early Slayer menace, but never shedding its South American belligerence. Meanwhile, namesake track ‘Initiation’ brims with evil arrogance as those guitars provide a blistering energy and consuming darkness.

Yes, it’s all fast, all furious and extremely oily and fog-drenched and it’s nothing new to the ears, but if you want to be bewitched by a sound then this is the dark, damp chasm you need to step into. In a frenzy you’ll be swept up by the tide of razorblades and whipping snarls and left wishing you were in warmer climes.

An Age Of Darkness is a dastardly retro and ravaging experience from a band that has dredged the cold lake of cataclysmic old school evil metal to form its own spiked n’ studded attack.

Neil Arnold

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