Norwegian Black Metal's infernal wrath is upon us again as TSJUDER unleash their fifth full-length album "Antiliv" onto the unsuspecting world. With a full four years since its predecessor, this is perhaps one of my most eagerly anticipated albums of 2015. Yet it was with a hint of trepidation that I first hit the play button: could TSJUDER really manage to live up to all my expectations that had amassed over this four year wait? Short answer: they demolished any sliver of a doubt with a single-minded ferociousness and an almost German-like efficiency.

Rawer that a vegan's worst nightmare, opening track "Kaos" wastes no time in subjecting us to an aural onslaught with the irresistible force of an avalanche. This album has absolutely everything you could desire, from frozen riffs to gravely rasped vocals that grate at your soul, and all this topped off with enough blast beats to launch a sizeable rocket into space. And of course, no Black Metal album worth it mettle would be complete without sound effects of air-raid sirens and tanks steamrollering everything in their path, and this military aspect of TSJUDER certainly isn't left wanting. I really loved all the different facets that this album contains, ranging from the ferocious "Djevelens Mesterverk" that strikes at you like a maelstrom of frozen razor blades to the dirty Black 'n Roll influences on songs like "Demonic Supremacy". Perhaps my personal favourite on the album was the wasteland soundscapes woven by "Ved Ferdens Ende", with the song being the epitome of harsh inescapable fate, doing a perfect job of leading up to the final song and title track "Antiliv".

Overall, the album "Antiliv" is a relentless offensive that was undeniably worth every second of that four year wait. There seem to be two golden standards adhered to by this latest opus: no compromises, and no holds barred. There is not a single filler song on the album; each song is a delicious cacophony that leaves you completely ravaged. The recording quality is also excellent, with each track on "Antiliv" being clearly distinguishable without conceding a microgram of their aggressiveness and hostility. With an album like "Antiliv", there is only one possible response: capitulate to the blitzkrieg and prepare to be swept away.