Sweden’s Wachenfeldt return with their follow up to the excellent debut album ‘’The Interpreter” with ‘’Faustian Reawakening’’ a record so damn good it makes the technical seem effortless with their brand of epic technical blackened death metal thrash.
Even to the casual listener, it is fast, blisteringly so, the tempo and time change are beautifully executed by Jon Skäre his double kick work is a driving force that provides the energy and the power behind the compositions. For the uninitiated Thomas, von Wachenfeldt is the band’s creator and chief creator who along with his Ph.
D. in music provides the Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Violin, and Keyboards. Such musical pedigree along with his several solo classical records and involvement with Wommbath make Faustian Reawakening a benchmark in being utterly metal. The tremolo picking that accompanies the pure thrash 2/4 beats are inspired and the atmospheric classical not only adds depth and dimension but is as integral as some of the great solos that accompany it.
The whole album is a highlight of metal that traverses the genres yet is never self-indulgent, the interludes haunting in their beauty whilst tracks like “The Warrior Mounds’’ and the riffing off ‘’Contemporary Eschatology” reaffirm just how heavy metal can be.
” Become Who You Are” is exactly like that, an epic statement of self-discovery and chaos.
Tough, muscular yet elegant, and deft with its incredible musicianship Faustian Reawakening is the album that rekindles the faith in pure metal and its extreme subgenres. This is superb Blackened Symphonic Thrash that demands your utter attention. It is furious, subtle, ugly, and merciless, quite possibly the best thing you will hear all year.
Wachenfeldt: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Threeman Recordings
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by Sparky
