When I first heard of this band, it was referred to me by my friend who mainly listens to pop/indie stuff, and I thought "can it really be black metal if HE likes it?" So I ordered the CD from Tumult to see what all the fuss was about.

Well, the answer is yes.

Weakling embodies all that black metal is (or rather should be); unrelenting, raw, mournful, hateful black fucking metal. The songs are lengthy pieces of pure feeling, with howling vocals and top-notch playing in the style of...Weakling. Sometimes it resembles Emperor, at other times (old and good) Mayhem comes to mind, but it's unfair to compare them to any other band since I have never heard anything quite like this. It would be easy to dismiss them as a band with too much time on their hands, a band that's decided to make fun of the black metal scene (how does the title "No one can be called as a man while he'll die" make you feel?), but when it's performed like this and not like for instance Impaled Northern Moonforest, it becomes painfully clear that this is as true as it'll ever get. this is easily one of the five best black metal albums, at least in my book.

The LP is out of print, but if you hurry up you can still get the CD. Do it. Now.

© 2003 daoloth