SARTEGOS (Sp) – O Sangue Da Noite TAPE

More to the point, SARTEGOS as both man and band conjure forth RIFFS – riffs that are immediately memorable, yet impossibly obscure and dark. Many bands indeed forget riffs, or just write “riffs” (mocking quotation marks intentional); here does riffmaster general Rou create an ancient sensation similar to the glorious early ’90s but mindfully not repeating exactly the same tropes. In fact, there’s a strong (and strongly favorable) aspect between O Sangue Da Noite and the early/mid ’90s Greek black metal canon: boundless riffs there, too, as well as mystical synth embellishments and intros. But, ever mindful to not simply retread the past, SARTEGOS uniquely chose a crisp ‘n’ clean production for its debut album. Where others mask their failings in obfuscating murk, Rou wraps his proud ‘n’ powerful constructions in a soundfield that heightens their glory, grit, and girth. Because at the end of the day, this is a fucking METAL record: true is its steel, forged with stealth and skill.