ARMAGEDDA are a two-piece Black Metal band from Norrland, Sweden. They were only active for a mere five years but in that time managed to release three full-length albums as well as three EPs. The album I'm going to discuss, "Only True Believers", is their second record initially released in 2003. The version I'm reviewing is a reissue that was released on October 18th of this year.

The band is led by bassist A. Petterson and guitarist/vocalist Graav primarily with hired guns filling in for drums on records. "Only True Believers" features drummer Hor, or as you may be more familiar with him as Erik Danielsson of infamous Black Metal outfit, WATAIN. I'm happy to say that Danielsson takes the intensity that WATAIN is known for and applied it to his drumming on this record. Frankly, it's outstandingly brutal.

Since this is a reissue, you may already be familiar with the record if you're a fan of the genre, if you're not here's a brief overview. The original record consisted of nine tracks clocking in at just a few seconds over forty-four minutes. The album moves at a quick pace that makes you forget about the number of tracks you're actually cruising through. Opener "Refuse The Blood Of Jesus" is Black Metal at its best and sets the perfect tone for the record with a heavy, driving beat that hits you like a semi-truck. As previously mentioned, Danielsson's drumming is a highlight overall but it really shines on the fifth track, "Poetry From A Poisoned Mind". If you're cautious about this record, which you really shouldn't be if you're a fan of black metal - it's fantastic, I would recommend giving this track a shot. It stood out as my favorite piece on the record with rolling blast beats and guttural, shrieking vocals. The final track on the initial release is a piece called "Ghostwood" which serves as an instrumental outro. It's not so much a musical piece as it feels like an atmospheric, science fiction sounds. I felt like I was about to be beamed up in a bright light. Nevertheless, it's a fitting end to a beast of a record.

The reissue adds two additional tracks, "Domedagens Triumf" and "Night Of The Triumphator". While they're both good tracks, they stick out from the record following the atmospheric outro of "Ghostwood". My biggest issue with these songs is their placement. If they were before that outro track in the record, I might've liked them more. But because they're stuck at the end like a post-credits scene in a Marvel movie, it felt out of place.

Overall, the record is still just as good today as it was in 2003 when it was first release. If you're new to black metal, this is a must-listen.