A short one this time: I did the review of "Fran Marder" a few weeks ago - now for the epitome of Arckanum's career: "Kostogher". I could hardly find enough words to praise Arckanum's debut, but the follow-up "Kostogher" is an improvement on all points. Tons of adrenaline, the fast parts are faster, the slow parts are doomier, the midtempo parts are even more crushing, the riffs are better and the whole album is more varied. The trademark Arckanum "wall of guitars" sound is present again, and Shamaatae's vocals are still the pissed-off snarls with tons of echo. Luckily, they're lower in the mix than before, adding to that 'mystical troll screaming into the night' atmosphere that this music is obviously tries, and succeeds, to achieve. Clocking at almost 60 minutes, you have a wealth of top notch material.

Packaging is impressive, silver-on-black (illegible) calligraphed lyrics, a couple of tastily done black/white pictures of Shamaatae in his cloak, misty forests - everything oozes quality. I respect Arckanum very much for letting the music do the talking. Without hype, without giving interviews to everyone and his brother, without putting down other bands, without compromising, without keyboards, without posing, without pushing controversial ideologies, this band manages to create and release some of the best music to come from the Scandinavian Black Metal scene in the last five years. Together with Graveland's "Following the Voice of Blood", "Kostogher" was the best Black Metal album of 1997. Almost two years have passed since I bought this, and it still never fails to impress. Let this be enough, you're not worth a shit if you don't get this.

© 1999 sybren