The international coven of Asagraum is set to descend over black metal once more. 2017 brought the scintillating debut of the European effort, Potestas Magicum Diaboli, a modern take on decades-old black metal tropes. Soaring melodies and icy tremolos laid over fiery blast beats, they're hallmarks of the frigid genre and the women behind the band do it splendidly. Two years later, Dawn of Infinite Fire doubles down on these symbols, conjuring an inferno of black metal nostalgia.
Photo by Christian Misje
This idea is incredibly apparent on a track like "Abomination's Altar," the third track from the new album. The nearly five-minute track wraps themes of occultism and satanism around a vengeful melody and breakneck tempo that rivals just about anything that came out of Scandinavia a quarter-century ago. The music video that accompanies the new track, follows a similar unforgiving tone. Shot in black and white, the trio rips through a live performance at a makeshift altar during one frame while in another they tear down another and punish the man worshipping at it.
Collectively, the song and the video are a push of the reset button. As metal—black metal in particular–continues to experiment and tinker with various ideas, "Abomination's Altar" and the rest of Asagraum's music is a thrilling reminder and refocusing of black metal's tenets. Through frozen riffing and thematic evil, the trio burst back into the blackened fold.
Dawn of Infinite Fire arrives on September 13 through Edged Circle Productions. Listen to and watch the music video for "Abomination's Altar" now.
