![the true werwolf / as sahar – the impure trinity / tika merah mengalia [split]](https://www.vm-underground.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/The-True-Werwolf-As-Sahar-–-The-Impure-Trinity-Tika-Merah-Mengalia-Split-cover.jpg "The True Werwolf / As Sahar – The Impure Trinity / Tika Merah Mengalia [Split]")
Info
- Band(s): As Sahar, The True Werwolf
- Label(s): Narbentage Produktionen
- Release Format(s): 7" vinyl, Split
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: June 15, 2024
- Author(s): FelixS
Finnish Black Metal stalwart The True Werwolf started 2024 with two split 7” EP’s, a tradition that the band holds high since its very start in the mid 00’s. This particular one, released through the German underground stables of Narbentage Produktionen, is shared with As Sahar, another band with a long history of split releases and an overall extensive back catalogue.
First up is Werwolf, and as is always the case with him when he releases music under this name: you never really know what you’re going to get. But ‘The Impure Trinity’ is a fairly conservative song, based on the melodic side of the Black Metal genre. No ambient and/or electronica this time, but honest Black Metal magic. Here we hear a bit of the same influences as we heard on the last The True Werwolf album (‘Devil Crisis’ 2020) and also the last two Satanic Warmaster records. Werwolf proves once again to have a gifted ear for melody and composition as, with ‘The Impure Trinity’, he delivers one of his most harmonious and catchy songs to date.
And if Werwolf proved that he has an impeccable ear for ear worming melodies, As Sahar, the band that moved from Singapore to Malaysia, on the other side of the EP proves to be one of the most underappreciated bands from the South East Asian Black Metal scene. The band, that has its roots all the way back in the late 80’s, has an impressive discography and a long history of line-up changes (the band trails a long list of ex-musicians, including members of bands like Istidraj, Sadiztik Impaler and Impiety), yet I think they remain mostly unheard by the majority of the Black Metal community. This track fits perfectly into the band’s most recent output, ‘Tika Merah Mengalia’ is built around a bleak, melodious and slightly dissonant riff that keeps swirling around and tends to sound a bit Norwegian in nature. The rest of the tracks is fairly simple, with a mostly up-tempo (and untight) beat, but that is exactly where the power and charm of As Sahar lies. The crude production completes the rest and places the band even more firmly at the top of their local scene. For me personally, by the way, a loose track like this on a split works a lot better than a full-length album, this way the band comes across as more powerful and the song lingers well.
As Sahar
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The True Werwolf
- Country: Finland
- Style: Black Metal, Other
- Links: Facebook, Bandcamp
