The origins of what is defined as Progressive Black Metal are - as everyone knows - into a fusion between the aggressiveness of Black Metal with influences coming from Progressive Rock of the 70s. In fact, album as “Aspera Hiems Symfonia” (of ARCTURUS), “Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler” (of ULVER), and “Written in Waters” (of VED BUENS ENDE) helped to create such ways (even with such bands working on an Avant-garde Metal model on those days). But from time to time, some band on such specific subgenre surprises the fans, as the Swedish quintet TIBALT with its first album, “Armaggedon”. The unusual feature of their music: instead of using a Black Metal way fused with Progressive Rock elements, the band seems to fuse Black Metal and Swedish Blackened Death Metal with Progressive Metal influences.

It’s not a sin to describe the band’s music as a Black Metal version of FATES WARNING or QUEENSRŸCHE in the best moments, but with musical contrasts that aren’t usual (as the clean and harsh changes heard on “The Gathering of Souls”, and the contrasts between clean tunes and grunts of the vocals used on “Lament for All”). It can be translated in a simple way: it’s technical and aggressive, but easy to be understood and absorbed by the senses. Yes, it’s really very good to hear this album. The production worked in a way to make things clean and defined, what means that the Black Metal side of their music lies in their instrumental tunes and on the songs’ harmonic structures. It’s defined and aggressive at the same time, and works in an almost perfect way for what the band depicts.

On the songs, the band shows a high level of musical maturity (even with this album being their first one), and to taste moments as “The Worldspine” (when their Progressive Metal side is more evident, with excellent melodies and hooking parts and charming guitar riffs and arrangements), “Death Itself” (where some fast blast beats are heard, but the rhythmic shifts created by bass guitar are really excellent), “The Untraveled Path” (the are some deeply melodic moments that are hard to resist, and the use of slow tempos puts in evidence their rich set of melodies and arrangements), “I Live as I Die” (here the Progressive Rock experimental traces are heard clearly, even with the boost that aggressiveness has on this one, with contrasts between grunts and low-tuned shrieks), “Nature’s Claim” (that bears some excellent melodic hooks on the guitars’ themes, but it’s one of the easiest moments of the album, and the use of contrasts between clean tunes and grunts from the vocals are placed perfectly on the instrumental parts), “Gathering of Souls” (the technical care on the arrangements is amazing, but without overloading things), and… No, no, no. It’s impossible to decide between “Lament for All” and “Enter the Infinite”, and to listen to the entire album is a great experience, so do it!

“Armaggedon” is a surprising release and can put TIBALT as one of the revelations of the year. And if they’re just beginning, imagine what their future releases will deliver to the fans.