ASAGRAUM originally started out as an international project in 2015 with roots in both the Netherlands and Norway. After 2017 the band established themselves in the Netherlands, where they've remained ever since. They have a distinctly Black Metal that is hard to ignore. "Dawn Of Infinite Fire" (2019) is the band's fourth album.

The album begins with "They Crawl From The Broken Circle". It has a raucous intro with strong guitar riffs accompanied by a good bass-line and heavy percussion. The vocals are raw and angry-sounding, adding a effectively sinister quality to the song. I especially enjoy the pace of the track which is fast, but not at a break-neck rate of speed. The composition is a good example of basic "no frills" Black Metal. "The Lightless Inferno" features a good melodic undertone. There is some great fretwork to appreciate as the guitar-playing creates a nice counter-balance for the wicked-sounding vocals. However, despite what I just mentioned, the track ends up not appealing to me very much. It seems to be lacking some quality that I can't name specifically. "Abomination's Lair" is fast-paced right from the start. Rapid guitar-play, heavy bass and brutal percussion make up the foundation of the track. It also features another great vocal performance by Obscura, as well as good underlying melody which simply enhances the song even more. It's easy to forget that this is performed by a smaller band than some others, yet these two women manage to hold their own almost effortlessly.

"Guahaihoque" is even more rapid-paced; the high-speed guitar riffs and brutal percussion blend to make music that is chaotic and loud. The vocals are as intense as ever even while they're slightly lower in volume in places. The overall pace and energy of the track is great; even when the song slows a bit around the halfway point those qualities remain pretty consistent. I really enjoy the interesting, down-tempo guitar solo that takes place towards the end of the song. It adds that something extra which makes a song great rather than just good. The title track, "Dawn Of Infinite Fire," has a different pace compared to the previous songs. It's somewhat more melodic to begin with before going into full-blown Black Metal mode. The vocal performance is very impressive with plentiful growls and shrieks which will demand your attention as soon as you hear them. The guitar-playing also stands out from some of the other songs. There are some really fantastic guitar riffs and hooks throughout the composition. I can easily say that this track is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for "Dochters van de Zwarte Vlam".  While the overall sound is good, I notice simiilarities to a couple of the other tracks with regard to the tone and speed of the song. It sounds enough like them that I find myself growing bored with it fairly quickly, which makes it easier to ignore. As far as the last three album tracks, I like two of them. The third one isn't awful, yet doesn't hold my attention very well. "Beyond The Black Vortex" has an excellent intro which is very melodic in nature. The guitar riffs are simple yet perfect as they compliment the backing music beautifully. The track's speed increases tenfold with the emergence of the vocals. The tone becomes more chaotic and dark in nature. It sounds like classic Nordic Black Metal which is impressive. Another one I'd recommend for sure.  "Hate Of Satan's Hammer" is FAST from the beginning. It has more of those brutal guitar riffs and thrashing percussion which I enjoyed hearing on other tracks before it slows down a great deal. This allows the vocals to stand out even more, which lets you appreciate their wicked sound. As the song plays it has sound closer to Death Metal, yet it's excellent nonetheless. And, yes, it is yet one more I would recommend, too.

 I wasn't familiar with ASAGRAUM prior to doing this review. Now that I know who they are and what they sound like I will definitely pay much more attention to them. I didn't make a big deal about the band being made up of women because I don't think it matters. I've known for years that women can play metal so I'm not the least bit surprised how well the ones in this band can play. Great job, ladies!