The March of Ornias resumes his journey through the halo of darkness, continuously preparing himself for the fulfillment of another vision, a revelation, another blackened deathwork, as he calls it. Back in 2013, I explored Ornias's SVARTSYN work on the "Black Testament" album, a fatalistic entry to the world of second wave Black Metal of the Scandinavian kind. It had its moments but also its downfalls. Four years later and here we are with SVARTSYN's latest installment of horrid purification titled "In Death", once again released via the Polish Agonia Records. Remaining true to one's art while looking a bit sideways can end up either way, fortunately for Ornias, and his skin ripping drummer, Hammerman, within thick layer of smoke converging, prickles of light were able to find their way through the mist.

As if nothing really happened in the last four years, and apparently nothing did, SVARTSYN remained true and loyal to the early 90s period, consuming the listener into their realm of obscurity molded into darkness, breaching storms of ice created in the Swedish lands, surmounting diabolical frostiness in every turn. It sounds quite common, and not what you would recognize as utterly special, however, in the case of "In Death", there is much improvement in the songwriting quality and its triggered ambience that materialized over the material. "Black Thrones Of Death" for instance showed an awakening, like a phoenix gradually rising from a mound of sand, Ornias's vision of deathwork is unveiled in all of its glory, a pictorial of a flamboyant scorcher. It might be featuring one or two riffs, yet variations done over the tune didn't falter and embraced with their blackness.

"Exile In Death" on the other hand, expressed that with enough drama and melodic efforts, diversity could be achieved over the adamant reprising gloominess. "The White Mask" prolongs the enchantment with a bitter and bone-chilling atmosphere, carried into the eye of the storm by what sounded like delicate riffing, ready for the upcoming danger. Furthermore, it was also noticed that no matter what, gloominess still has its assets and misanthropia can be a divine element, through "With Death" Ornias forged a witching atmosphere as he chanted into the cold night. If the mixing was better, it would have been possible to hear that nice melodic tremolo picking surge within the blustery winds of the riffs.

I can only assume that "In Death" is beyond the reality of the process of dying, but the inner contemplations and personal outtakes of Ornias. I think this album is a turn for the better for the moniker. The album and the artist are still wrapped up by the past, but at least the old bindings that hold them were made to a better use.