Sworn to the Dark
Encyclopedia
Sworn to the Dark is the third studio album by Watain
and was released on February 19, 2007 on Season of Mist
. It features 11 songs, of which two are instrumentals. The album is mostly group written (the "Holy Trinity" of Danielsson, Jonsson, and Forsberg), except for track 2 (co-written with Set Teitan, formerly of the blackened death metal group Dissection
), and track 10 (co-written with Michayah Belfagor, of the group Ofermod). "Legions of the Black Light" was dedicated to Jon Nödtveidt
.
or Darkthrone
's outright savagery and straightforward execution, and Emperor
's spiraling arrangements and progressive orientation." He went on to say that "you'll definitely find more extreme, misanthropic, or adventurous black metal albums than Sworn To The Dark out there, but you'll be hard-pressed to find one more balanced or — and this may sound contradictory for nasty old black metal — enjoyable."
The album also received critical praise from other quarters as well. Scott Alisoglu of Blabbermouth rated it an 8, and said "Watain is a band concerned not with experimentation or genre-bending, just the creation of ripping black metal songs that burn a hole in the soul and leave a lasting impact on the psyche. It doesn't get much better."
The album also made many end-of-year lists, as well. In Terrorizer's "Secret History Of Black Metal" (issued in September 2009), it made the number 13 position on their list of "Black Metal's Top 40 Albums".
Watain
Watain is a Swedish black metal band from Uppsala, formed in 1998. The band's name is taken from a recording by the American black metal group Von.- History :...
and was released on February 19, 2007 on Season of Mist
Season of Mist
Season of Mist is a record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal and death metal records, the label moved on to releasing...
. It features 11 songs, of which two are instrumentals. The album is mostly group written (the "Holy Trinity" of Danielsson, Jonsson, and Forsberg), except for track 2 (co-written with Set Teitan, formerly of the blackened death metal group Dissection
Dissection (band)
Dissection was a black metal band from Strömstad, Sweden. The band was formed in 1989, by Jon Nödtveidt. The band released its first EP in 1991. They disbanded in 2006, after Nödtveidt's suicide.- Band overview :...
), and track 10 (co-written with Michayah Belfagor, of the group Ofermod). "Legions of the Black Light" was dedicated to Jon Nödtveidt
Jon Nödtveidt
Jon Andreas Nödtveidt was a lead guitarist and vocalist of the Swedish black metal band Dissection, which he founded in 1989....
.
Reception
Eduardo Rivadavia of allmusic gave the album 4.5 of 5 stars, saying that the band "achieve a perfect balance between VenomVenom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
or Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
's outright savagery and straightforward execution, and Emperor
Emperor (band)
Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They dissolved in 2001, but reunited in 2006 and again in 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours. The group was founded by Samoth and Ihsahn .-Biography:...
's spiraling arrangements and progressive orientation." He went on to say that "you'll definitely find more extreme, misanthropic, or adventurous black metal albums than Sworn To The Dark out there, but you'll be hard-pressed to find one more balanced or — and this may sound contradictory for nasty old black metal — enjoyable."
The album also received critical praise from other quarters as well. Scott Alisoglu of Blabbermouth rated it an 8, and said "Watain is a band concerned not with experimentation or genre-bending, just the creation of ripping black metal songs that burn a hole in the soul and leave a lasting impact on the psyche. It doesn't get much better."
The album also made many end-of-year lists, as well. In Terrorizer's "Secret History Of Black Metal" (issued in September 2009), it made the number 13 position on their list of "Black Metal's Top 40 Albums".
Track listing
Personnel
- Erik Danielsson – vocals, bass
- Håkan Jonsson – guitar
- Pelle Forsberg – drums
- Set TeitanSet TeitanSet Teitan [Sethlans Teitan] as Davide Totaro. He was the guitarist of industrial black metal band Aborym from 1997–2005, lead guitarist for Bloodline 2000-2005, as well as the second guitarist of the Swedish black metal band Dissection. He is also the second guitarist for Watain and performed on...
– lyrics and guitar solo on "Legions of the Black Light" - Peter StjärnvindPeter StjärnvindPeter Stjärnvind, born 11 August 1973, is a Swedish drummer. His current position is the drummer of the bands Unanimated and Nifelheim. Before that he also played in Loud Pipes, Merciless, Regurgitate, Entombed, and Face Down. He also appeared in several side-projects, including Krux, Born of Fire...
, Alvaro Lillo, Carlos Aguilar, Tobias Sidegård – guest vocals on "Stellarvore"