Some albums hearken back to earlier times and in some cases that is because they have taken a long time to be released.  Katumus album At the Ruins of the World, may be one of those albums.  Looking around for information on the band reveals some surprising things.  First is that some of the songs existed in various forms as far back as 2012 and secondly, a lot of them appear to have been first posted on MySpace of all places.  To be fair, the band’s Facebook page didn’t exist until around the same time, so maybe they were still unsure of which platform would be ideal.  Either way, these songs are now in their final mixed and mastered versions and have been unleased on the listening public.

Katumus, meaning “repent” in Finnish, is a side project of black metal veterans Fire (Elgibbor/Fire Throne/Frost Like Ashes/Knights of the New Temple) and Armath Sargon  (Armath Sargon/Through the Thorns/Zero+One/Knights of the New Temple).  The stated goal of the project was to create black metal for fans of Fire Throne and other old-school black metal bands.

At the Ruins of This World opens up with some angry mob shouting before all the black metal breaks loose in a cacophony of blast beats and relentless guitar that sounds true to form as it has that Northern European tone and driving quality.  “As the Doom Comes” and When the Storm Blasts the Ground” do sound very old-school black metal and unfortunately, somewhat similar.  Vocals on these tracks are somewhat distant as well and much like one would expect in the genre, are of the shrieking form and require a lyric sheet for discernment.

“At the Ruins of This World” opens up with a church bell chiming and then launches into a very groove heavy riff, which was somewhat unexpected but a welcome change.  Despite the driving groove, this is still undeniably black metal even before the vocals come in and give it away.  Vocals on this track are a bit more toward the forefront compared to the first two tracks and that also is a welcome change.  Even though the drums and tempo are slower, the vocals and guitars carry the black metal tone and feel for the song.  This unexpected subtle shift in style comes back in “Spirit Unites” and “Doomed in Madness” and for me, make these the strongest tracks on the album.  For those simply looking for what could be labeled “traditional” black metal, the rest of the tracks on the album should fill that need very nicely.  These three somewhat different tracks do serve nicely as a way to break up what could be otherwise overwhelming.

As for the old-school black metal tracks on the album, “Spirit of Jezebel” would probably be my favorite.  Blast beats abound and carry much of the song but it does have some slower sections that provide some relief from the overall unrelenting nature of the song.  Guitars have that power drill like quality to them and the vocals, again somewhat distant, have a haunting quality to them that adds to the feel of the song.  Some of the drum mix seems a bit odd, especially in the slower sections, but it is somewhat consistent throughout the album.

Old-school black metal is one of those genres that you typically either love or hate.  At the Ruins of This World is filled with everything  fans of the genre would be expecting but also manages to incorporate some groove into a few songs that help provide some relief from the otherwise unrelenting black metal onslaught.

Rating: 7/10

Written by John Jackson

Tracklist:
1. As the Doom Comes
2. When the Storm Blasts the Ground
3. At the Ruins of This World
4. Spirit of Jezebel
5. Spirit Unites
6. Frozen Heart
7. Eternal Flame
8. Sold Soul
9. Doomed In Madness
10. Filth of the Rotting Corpse

Band Members
Fire – Vocals, drums
Armath Sargon – Guitars, bass

Record Label: Nokternal Hemizphear, March 2014

Weblinks: Facebook

Video below ‘At The Ruins Of This World’