Entwining the arts of first and second wave Black Metal into a formidable mystifying being, that is something that isn't happening everyday my friends. I am just glad that it was available for me to behold, listen and experience. First time for me with the Danish Black / Heavy Metal crew of SLAEGT, as they kicked into the gear and wrote another album after releasing the previous one just last year. I am sure that it wasn't about being hasty, but rather due to high motivation and extraordinary current of ideas in order to complete a closer package of tunes. "The Wheel", via Van Records, is coming in as the band's third album, regarded as a continuance of the earlier "Domus Mysterium", which I assumed to be the catalyst, started a chain reaction that is unstoppable. I haven't listened to it I admit, so please bear with me as I think that I caught the vibe through its successor.

If there is a fusion that I have been longing for in Metal, other than ones that are commonplace, is between the first and second wave of Black Metal, vintage British Metal, call it NWOBHM if you will, and the frosty storm that came across Europe throughout the 90s, especially from the cold Scandi lands. Each movement enriches the other, completing a darkened and melodic musical direction, mysterious and magical, between darkness and light. 90s and 00s bands such as TRIBULATION, DARKTHRONE and DISSECTION, knew exactly how to squander upon the eminence and characteristics of the queen mother, MERCYFUL FATE, and assert to a new level of extremity, a kind that isn't merely a typhoon, but rather multidimensional and hooking. SLAEGT, being around enough to comprehend that there is a strong advantage in the addition of NWOBHM elements to their music, rose to the challenge.

Ok, I think I am done with this long intro, so I will dive right into the deep murky waters. "The Wheel" clings to the glory of the twin guitar attack of the British sort, enticing the ear with various of harmonies and melodious sections that are both morbid and angelic at the same time. Furthermore, as classic vain solos attempt to swallow your soul in one bite, a freezing atmospheric vibe comes in, looming, sending icy shards into the mind's, making it to ponder, wonder around right before another storm is set. Why storms you ask? Well, not just because it is a Black Metal album, which invites cascading grinds. There is a blur in the song structures, mainly it is hard to distinguish a peak, and I trust that it was on purpose, to step out of the box with eclectic decorations. Furthermore, and I believe this to be a powerful element in the music, SLAEGT didn't settle for just the blending of decades and waves in Metal, as they also added a layer of enchantment, forming a sensational, on the verge of bizzare, crust that in most cases appeared as unexpected, especially with such a change of dispositions in the music.

Since I was caught deep into the cold melodic vibe of the music, filling my essence with such craving, it wasn't all that easy to pick a personal favorite. After a small inner debate, the self-titled, "The Wheel" came first. Such a hammering ending for an album, one has to feel blessed. Oozed up by an atmospheric suspension, this magical epic was all I could wish for, sharing flicks of acoustics with a twisted vintage Metal incursion. The energetic tempo of second wave Black Metal with those miraculous performed twin guitar riffs of old, are simply a mind blower. "Masician" showed the other cheek, portraying a foundation of British Metal, an inspiring tune, putting to the notice the band's attention to harmonies and the classic era of the genre, mimicking the superior ambience almost to perfection. The opener "Being Born (Is Going Blind)" may provide a slightly different impression for those who expected a full blown British Metal album, nevertheless, as the storm clears, and at times I wished it would have lasted just a bit more, a revival is at hand. Other worthy tunes: "Gauntlet of Lovers" and "Citrinitas".

I know I mentioned it a couple of times in the past, but this is why I am here, to explore and find out more bands that would keep me hanging for the years to come. SLAEGT, you got yourselves a new fan and I believe that "The Wheel" was just the beginning.