When Black Metal arose from the underground, back in 1993-1994, a great amount of different styles appeared as well. It showed how Black Metal evolved since the 80s, and it was changed forever, to face hard trials in the future, because it gained personality. This somber and morbid feeling that was the main core of bands like MAYHEM, BURZUM, DARKTHRONE, ANCIENT, SATYRICON and others is the same that the German quartet NARVIK uses on their songs. On "Ascencion to Apotheosis", their new album, you can feel it clearly. The musical expression of the band is that same one from the past, with a darkened aggressive sound with climatic moments, that sad and morbid atmosphere that some fans of the style yearn for. Although they aren't doing nothing new at all, their musical work is filled with a nasty and brutal personality, what makes it different from many bands you heard before.

As some could expect, the sound quality is raw. But not in a way you can't understand what they are playing and what their songs are about. The balance between musical weight, aggressiveness and sound clarity was done in a way that respect the style, but as well is understandable for us all. The somber and aggressive depressive sense of "Wounds of Aspiration" (excellent guitars are presented here, using distorted and clean moments) and "Geist Zu Scherben", the raw atmosphere of "Psychotic Redeemer" with its thunderous work on bass guitar and drums (the tempos are changing in a very good and harmonic way), and the morbid grunts of "The Shore" can be named as their best moments. But the entire album is very good.

For Black Metal fans, but any extreme Metal fan will love it as well.