From Bandcamp, “SARASTUS is a three piece Hyper Black Metal band from Finland founded in 2014 by Dusk. The band’s title means “dawning” in English. The album has nine songs. “Gravelust” is first. It roars out of the gates with that FWOBM inspired thickness and aggression, and the vocals are trademark shrieks of torture. There are some solemn tones mixed in, more like tones of hopelessness, and that is common for the genre. “Towards Eternity” is another fireball of energy, the likes of which leave a trail of smoke in their wake. It moves forward as a blistering pace, with drums gone mad.

“Where Cruelty Never Ends” is a bit slower, but no less intense, but through close to half of the album so far, there isn’t a lot of variation. With all of the advances in the genre over the past decade, this makes me wonder why some bands hold onto the past. “No Horizon” brings some of that variation to the table I was talking about. The riff is more discernable, and the sound is hopeless, as cold as the frozen tundra of the extreme North. “Metamorphisis” means to change…to ascend, and this song is the equivalent of pressing the gas pedal all the way to the floor and not letting up. “From Pride, to Shame, to Misery” rides out a dark melody line into the sunset, and the band is clicking on all gears, not missing a note.

“Into the Lair” has a thicker riff structure, but again, no less intensity. The amount of aggression showed on the album so far is off the charts. The chord progressions also make sense within the context of the song. “1644” closes the album. For the amateur historians, the Ming Dynasty in China fell, the English Civil War saw key battles, and the Third Anglo-Powhatan War began in Virginia. It’s another break-neck pacer from start to finish, with vocals shouted from the rooftops. The intensity of the album is noteworthy, and their musicianship is excellent, but, unfortunately, the diversity of the album doesn’t meet either of the preceding things.