I am sure that many of you guys have been wondering whether WATAIN’s new output would not turn into something too easy for the masses to digest. To my relief, the two-track promo released before this album was out put me at ease. Trident Wolf Eclipsestands for 100% proof black metal, in the vein of old WATAIN. No more and no less. I am looking forward to seeing these guys live to make sure these new tracks work out well when performed at concerts. I am more than sure that these live shows are going to be killer, as Eric and his crew have always been able to deliver pure hell and destruction on stage. The year of 2017 was a good year, as far as metal music/releases are concerned, so I wasn’t too sure whether 2018 was going to be the same. Now, I am 666% certain this Trident album will be of this year’s best releases. When we talk about this album, well, I get to admit this is closer to classic black metal than previous recordings of our Swedes. Layout-wise, WATAIN’s new cd seems simplified. Especially when compared to Lawless Darkness and The Wildhunt with their sophisticated cover arts done by Zbigniew Bielak. In my view, this layout fits better now. Not as effective as previously, it better matches the black metal vibe of this album. The Trident’s music is a return to what WATAIN stood for in the very beginning. It is very doomy, menacing and catchy; yet romantically melodic and thus affecting a potential listener to a great extent. You can sense DISSECTION andBATHORY in this, still very aggressive, music. Yes, the music is very menacing, archaic and untamed. Still, it possesses a subtle atmosphere in which the music itself is embedded. This darkness is multidimensional and thus all its layers finally result in phenomenally accurate vibe. What I do appreciate about this album are the guitar solos. Subtle, not intrusive, which, at first, seem a bit hidden, so to say, but which are, in fact, some sort of sophisticated additional elements that make this recording even nobler. Mad tempos and fury are paired with this unique catchiness you can sense in theseBATHORY march-like parts. This stuff is very proud, epic almost. Yes, Trident isWATAIN’s one of most interesting albums and undeniably one of better albums as far as black metal of the last few years is concerned.

Necro