Ask the average person what they know about Cuba, and you'll probably get answers along the lines of cigars and dictatorship. Very few would link this small Caribbean island country with Black Metal. And yet, from this little tropical haven come "A Hatred Manifesto", the second full-length album by one-man Black Metal project NARBELETH, formed in 2008. Having recently signed to the renown Folter Records, NARBELETH is set to break out of the underground and into the European Black Metal scene, and with "A Hatred Manifesto", we're shown exactly what the mastermind Dakkar can do.

Playing a style of Black Metal very heavily reminiscent of the Norwegian Second Wave of Black Metal, "A Hatred Manifesto" sees seven songs of unbridled old school rawness unleashed, with the eighth and final track being an excellent cover of URGEHAL's hymn "Nyx". With a total play-time of just over half an hour, "A Hatred Manifesto" is a strongly riff-driven release. Starting out with "Total Isolation", the listener is launched into a maelstrom of furious blast beats. The sound quality of the whole album is good, although perhaps a bit too clean in some parts, which would have been nicely complemented by a rawer sound. Guitar solos and tempo variations are also cleverly interspersed, keeping the album from becoming stale. This is particularly the case in songs like "Land of the Heathen" where the pace gets taken down a notch, something which is emphasised by the clean vocals; a rather unexpected twist on an album that would otherwise be inconspicuous among Norwegian Black Metal releases. With older SATYRICON-esque riffs, this track ranks among my favourites on "A Hatred Manifesto". Also particularly noteworthy is the guitar solo which is interwoven with an acoustic section in "Nihilistic Propaganda", a tempestuous flurry that evokes raw blackness. One thing is abundantly clear, Dakkar certainly knows what he is doing, regardless if it's on drums, guitars, or vocals.

Overall, this is a grim and strong release by one of the most promising South American Black Metal bands. If you enjoy old school Black Metal, I highly recommend giving "A Hatred Manifesto" a listen. I for one can't wait to see NARBELETH live at the Under The Black Sun Festival in Germany later this year.