Well... I had almost no positive expectations when I first threw Sonic Reign’s first full-length album in my hard-tried CD-player but was I in for a surprise or what?
My first reaction was; this can’t be Sonic Reign… it must be Satyricon! – How can they send me the wrong album? Well, I was wrong, because I was in fact listening to the brand new Sonic Reign album entitled “Raw Dark Pure”.
Metal Blade Records has done the right thing to offer this German Black Metal band a record deal, because what we have here is more than a pleasant surprise.
Even though is Black Metal it is not all about blastbeats and chaos, no… there are fantastic melodies to be found, but don’t worry… the music is still METAL and EVIL!
Sonic Reign is groovier than what I’m used to from most Black Metal bands, their songs are fucking memorable and they are very easy to tell apart. Just take a listen to track 5 “Salt” and you’ll hear a monster of a Black Metal song that blows your mind… this track is so catchy that you will be knocked right out of your socks.
Sonic Reign doesn’t reinvent the genre, but definitely add something great to it. To put it simple… one hell of a Black Metal album.
The production is… somehow a little primitive but in some weird way I like it and you must excuse me because I don’t see the point in writing a long and boring review of this album… just buy it if you’re a genre-fan.
One of the best Black Metal releases this year?
