10 Greatest Black Metal Albums Of The 21st Century
9. Watain – Trident Wolf Eclipse (2018)
Probably the first high-profile heavy release of 2018, Watain’s sixth album Trident Wolf Eclipse is a powerhouse that perfectly emulates the roots of black metal, while also remaining current with well-executed production and mixing.
Everything on display here oozes pure, subversive extremity: the guitar riffs from Håkan Jonsson expertly replicate the sheer, ominous evil present in such old-school titans as De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Erik Danielsson’s vocals are as direct and taut as ever, roaring out pure, fiery vitriol for forty uninterrupted minutes. The frontman’s lyrics match the darkness of his delivery, ringing out with such Satanic verses as “A leprous smile / Behind each prophet’s neck. / The eternal curse. / A black wound hissing / In the Christ flesh.”
The drumming from Pelle Forsberg then wraps the entire affair in a neat bow of pure hate, blast-beating everything in sight to give Trident Wolf Eclipse its undiluted speed and thrashing anarchy.
Delectably unhallowed, this record is the perfect start to a very black metal month, and truly one of the greatest modern discs to come from the subgenre.