Finnish black metal has always stood quite separately in sound from its Norwegian counterpart with an atmosphere that is unique to the land and an identity that is truly singular.
Sargeist have a definite ownership over that sound, with the band creating desolate, harsh, windswept vortexes of misanthropy with founder Shatraug’s scything guitar progressions at the core of their musical output. Having formed as a solo project in 1999, Sargeist soon grew in their ranks to include members of Behexen and Horna, and Feeding… builds on the landscapes of cold, icy horror from 2010’s stunning Let The Devil In.
Snares Of Impurity pulses with malevolence and a devious melody that wraps around Hoath’s devastating vocal delivery, shifting from echoing bellows to high screams with a frightening ease, while Return Of The Rats and the ferocious The Unspoken Ones breathe with a darkness that is absolute and terrifying. The Shunned Angel creates an aura of total dread before Funerary Descent closes the record on a sly, gorgeous solo, leaving Feeding The Crawling Shadows as a dangerous black metal experience.
