MÚSPELLZHEIMR Is a Black Metal band from Roskilde, Denmark. After an exhaustive search on the google machine, that is seriously all I could find out about them. With Denmark's Black Metal scene gaining traction in the past few years, they have established themselves as a bit of an underground gem worth discovering. "Raukn" is their latest release from 2018, but is now being re-released under the Amor Fati Productions banner on all digital and physical formats. With three full-length releases and more than a few EP's to their credit, they have every intention to spread their Black Metal gospel to the world.

I might completely out myself as a poser here, but truthfully, this is not an album that is digestible for me as a listener. Not that Black Metal is meant to be that way. I'm well aware of how it's purposely intended to be harsh and unsettling. However, I appreciate Black Metal when each instrument is audible and discernible within the rest of the mix. Holding true to the lowest of the lo-fi aesthetic, the guitar and vocals almost reach White Noise type quality and are barely discernible. You can hear the drums for the most part, and there are some moments where the parts that the electric guitar is playing can be heard clearly. But overall, it remains as an unsettling almost otherworldly experience to listen to this album.

For the most part, I get the feeling that this album would be great for somebody that is a true Black Metal fan. For example, when life gets to be a bit much for me, as it often does, I find myself reaching for certain albums in the Power Metal and Progressive Metal genres to help me through those times. If Black Metal is to you what Power and Progressive Metal are to me, then this album will certainly get a lot of replays in your collection. Even though I do not prefer Black Metal, I can certainly see how this band holds true to the aesthetic and the gravitas that the genre demands. When it comes to the album's ratings, I'm going to rate it based on how I think it sticks to how Black Metal is meant to be done based on my observations as an outsider willing to see how others may find value in it. And yes, as always, BUY THIS ALBUM!!!