I have a long history with Watain. I first discovered Watain in late 2012, at a time in my life where all I listened to was Slipknot and Rammstein. I did not fall in love instantly, however, and to be frank, I really couldn't stand Black Metal. I thought the genre was rather pointless, an opinion that would be changed by Behemoth, Burzum, Emperor, Borknagar, and Nachtmystium two years later.
I really gave Watain a fair chance in 2015, when I fell in love with both their 2003 album Casus Luciferi and the more modern Lawless Darkness.
Trident Wolf Eclipse starts off with the pummeling "Nuclear Alchemy," a great traditional black metal track. Raw, in your face, and truly one of the most accessible tracks on the album. "Nuclear Alchemy" sets the tone for the album by being straightforward and simple.
Next up is "Sacred Damnation", one of my favorite tracks on this album. The drumming on this track is impeccable, as is the guitar work. The synths near the end add another layer of atmosphere to this already dense song, and are much appreciated.
"Teufelsreich" is one of the slower tracks on the album and bears a small resemblance to the work of Dissection. Following this is "Furor Diabolicus", which contains an excellent guitar solo by Pelle Forsberg and one of my favorite riffs on the album. It's fast, in your face, evil, and makes me want to drive really fast. Remind me to never listen to this song while driving.
"A Throne Below," the fifth track on this album, starts out as a traditional black metal song but includes elements of classical music near the close. As the song reaches an end, the synths grow in volume and the guitars ever so slightly quieter, leading this to be one of the most dynamic pieces on the album.
"Ultra (Pandemonic)" is unfortunately one of the most bland songs on the album, featuring a rather uninspired black metal riff and an underwhelming solo. This is certainly the weakest song on the album, but is by no means a weak song in general. It simply just leaves more to be desired, and lacks the dynamics that are found on "Sacred Damnation" and "A Throne Below." It also features some sort of strange evil laughing in its last thirty seconds that takes away from the maturity of the album. It's campy and sort of unnecessary for a band that has entered its twentieth year of existence.
"Towards the Sanctuary" features some of the best guitar work on the album and demonstrates structure like no other song on this album. This song is definitely the most forward thinking on the album. I think that the bass work and vocals, both performed by Erik Danielsson, reach their peak at this point in the album.
The final piece of the album, "The Fire of Power", is slow, gloomy, and evil. This features some of the best drum work on the album, definitely being the most diverse tracks in terms of drumming. The rest of the album is very blast beat heavy, which is always appreciated, but this track really lets Håkan Jonsson display his versatility behind the kit. "The Fire of Power" really starts to shine at about the half-way point, featuring a unique bridge at around the two minute mark. This track also does an effective job at bringing the album to an abrupt close, which is very fitting given the nature of the album.
Trident Wolf Eclipse is a great black metal record that is short and sweet. The dynamic range on this album is incredible in comparison to many other mainstream black metal releases, leading this album to sound spectacular. The vocal deliveries, guitar tone, and drumming really shine on this album. The production on this album is wonderful, handled by the only producer that Watain has ever worked with, Tore Stjerna. Stjerna has also worked with Funeral Mist and Tribulation (whose new album Down Below will be reviewed soon).
Trident Wolf Eclipse does seem to lack variation, however, and is unfortunately predictable at times. I will forgive this predictability because of the excellent production and strong songwriting throughout this record, in both lyrics and music.
I'm looking forward to seeing where Watain will go after this album. I would love to see more experimentation, as heard in The Wild Hunt, but I honestly have no idea where Watain will go after this. I am sure, however, that it will be powerful. I'm giving this album a 7.0/10, and will be continuing to listen to it whenever I have the desire to hear a barrage of tremolo picking and blast beats.
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