Avmakt – Satanic Inversion Of…. Review

What do you do when a band masters a particular sound, moment in time, and vibe, but eventually abandons it for other styles? Do you seek out someone else doing it, even if you know no one will ever quite replicate the magic? Or do you just accept that the way Classic Band did Classic Sound is something that is best left alone?

These are questions that might swirl around your noggin as you spin Avmakt’s Satanic Inversion of…. full length. Made up of two dudes that have spent time in Obliteration, Black Magic, Dødskvad, Condor, and several other acts, Avmakt brings notable pedigree and experience. But this being their debut, Avmakt is certainly not the black metal-foundation-setting band hinted at in that intro paragraph; that credit goes to Darkthrone. However, Avmakt is certainly making a case at doing one of the best versions of this sound not made by Fenriz and Nocturno Culto. (Fenriz even helped get them signed to Peaceville.) Is it as good as the material it apes? No, but it’s much, much closer than most. Your particular need for it might say more about you and your appetite for such things than it does the album, but if you answer “yes” to the question below, you probably need it.

The black metal sound in question being played by Avmakt is what Darkthrone nailed on those classic albums. It’s supremely raw, fuzzy, and ill-tempered, defined by filthy riffs that spew razor-sharp icicles as much as they hint at their speedy Motörhead origins (that delightful gallop in “Towing Oblivion”). The vocals are haggard and pissed off, and there’s a gritty punk undertone that can’t be ignored. Sometimes it speeds with tremolo lines and fierce blasts, and at other times lurches in positively ornery doom grooves (“Charred” starts so slow it feels like it might actually stop). Even the soloing has a Ted touch, while the feedback at the end of the lengthy “Sharpening Blades of Cynicism” seems tailor made to appeal to Hate Them fans. Basically, noting here would please Little Miss Bouquet down the lane.

Does that description sound familiar? Of course it does, and so does the music. This will likely be both the album’s biggest selling point to some fans and biggest detriment to others. But hot damn, there’s no denying how well these two dudes hit one of the coolest (and rudest and nastiest and downright most haunting) sounds in the history of this thing we call heavy metal. Maybe you think it’s a cop-out to avoid an outright recommendation in favor of “search your feelings,” but that’s the simple reality for clear homage music such as this. Darkthrone moved on; maybe you should too? On the other hand, maybe you should stick to what you know you love and give Avmakt an immediate spin. Maybe.

Here’s one more way to handle it: if the cover had the Darkthrone logo on it (and was black and white), heaps of fans would be heralding it as a return to a classic sound, because Avmakt really does do it that well. Maybe (maybe) that is what you needed to hear, because this stuff totally rips.