The extremes within the Finnish scene are enormous. I really detest a large part of the scene for being way too poppy, predictious and pretentious. At the same time, there’s a really vivid underground-happening with tens of superb projects and bands. To this second category belongs Satanic Warmaster, one of the many projects by Lauri ‘Werwolf’ Penttilä, whom you might know (at least I do) from other acts like Krieg and Horna, Blasphemous Evil / Vomitfago, Armour, Pest, Orlok or The True Werwolf, amongst tens of others. With Satanic Warmaster, Lauri recorded a small hand full of full lengths and, especially, many splits before, and undersigned loves (almost) everything ever recorded under this specific moniker (the same goes, by the way, for most of the other bands and projects this guy is or was involved with). The same goes for Nachzehrer, Satanic Warmaster’s 2010-album, originally released on CD via Lauri’s own Werewolf Records-label. If I am not mistaken, Northern Heritage did a vinyl re-press in a very limited edition before, but the great Hells Headbangers-label re-release the stuff (once again) as 12” deluxe picture long player (read: vinyl), including a poster (for what the f*ck this might be worth…).
But the problem I do have with almost all former Satanic Warmaster-stuff, i.e. a nauseous sound, goes for this recording as well. As I did mention a thousand times before in so many reviews, I do not mind a ‘primitive’ sound at all; on the contrary, I do prefer an organic production above a surgically clinical sound. But the mix of this album is, once again, way too lousy. Listen to the cymbals or… No, it’s not worth to give it any more attention. The production sucks and that is a major pity!
However, when it comes to the compositions, I am extremely unhappily happy! Nachzehrer brings rhythmic and melodic Underground Black Metal, with a heroic, epic approach (very ‘Nordic’, for that typical Scandinavian superiority gets breathed from this Music’s core!). Forget originality once again, but focus on the true essence of this specific genre. You’ll notice that Satanic Warmaster are a pure expression of the scene in a mostly glorious and victorious form. Once again, this album brings slow over mid-tempo to lightning fast Primal Black aggression with a rumbling taking-no-prisoners mentality and a stiff-middle-finger-in-your-god’s-ass attitude, and who am I to disapprove such sweet thoughts?...
A thing I cannot ‘forget’ or ‘deny’ to add is the use of the keyboard lines from time to time. Satanic Warmaster are a project that are focused on mid-tempo to fast Black Nordic aggression for the better part. But just like, let’s say, an album like Bathory’s Under The Sign Of The Black Mark, the subtle use of keyboard lines from time to time brings in another dimension, which is at least as suffocative and mesmerizing as the initial metalized aggression.
I can’t, and won’t, say that this album is Satanic Warmaster’s strongest release to date. Why? Because it is not. It’s that simple, just like that. But once again, it is a record that trespasses narrow-minded boundaries, and sarcastically laughs with mind-limiting ignorance. It’s like a Finnish morphosis of Burzum (oink???), but with that typifying Suomi-laden ‘wolfish’ attitude. …or something like that?...