ARMAGEDDA is a Black Metal band, formed in Sweden, in 1999. They have released to date three full-length albums, with "Svindeldjup ättestup" being their fourth, and containing seven new tracks. "Det sjuttonde aret" leads us off. It's a quick one-and-a-half-minute mood setting instrumental, with evil sounds that come from the graveyard after midnight, seguing into "Ond spiritism," which moves forward with a wall of sound from the guitars, some steady drumming, and deeper, harsh vocals. An occasional cymbal crash can be heard from time to time, and a little variation in the riffing. At least they are trying to keep the listener on their toes, even though it is traditional Black Metal through and through.

"Likvaka" opens with slower groove, and some dark tones. It sounds a little more Doomy than Black Metal per se...let's just say that the band has more to their repertoire. The Black Metal sound develops soon thereafter. "Djupens djup" opens with another slow groove, to really let the evil sound through. It's quite harrowing in nature. It picks up a bit in pacing before the end. "Guds cadaver" features some big cymbal crashes to go along with the ever-present guitars and foreboding vocals. It gets a bit thicker as it moves along, gathering steam and holding that pace through the end of the song.

"Flod av smuts" is just under seven minutes in length, opening with a discernible guitar riff with that familiar "one-two" chord pattern. The drums hold a steady beat, while the vocals are clear for Black Metal. It again picks up steam towards the half-way mark, then returns to the previous groove. "Evigheten i en obrytbar cirkel" is an eleven minute closer. It opens with a clear guitar riff and steady drumming. About three minutes in, lead guitar notes join the charge, giving it a nice, thick sound, with some supporting guitar work. About five minutes in, this little ambient passage comes out of nowhere, further diversifying the song. It changes course from there, with the ambient passage coming back, and then finishes on the original sound.

I have to say, with a few listens, the album grew on me. I'm not usually one for traditional, old school Black Metal, because it doesn't offer that much in terms of variation. But these guys put together a frightening album here, where there is more than meets the eye. Focusing on songwriting, rather than screaming, proves the band is more than capable of creativity within the genre. Sure, the raw elements are still here, but the variation they brought to the table was nice. Overall, I would recommend this to Black Metal fans. I think they will find something steeped in tradition, but also a bit out of the usual wheelhouse.