Album Review: Scargzlot - Wolf's Atonement 8 (Black Metal)

Written by Zax

Scargzlot
Wolf’s Atonement
Atmospheric Black Metal
Chile
August 23, 2019
8\10

Here in the states and surrounding countries, winter is coming on. Hell, depending on where you are, you might already be getting the brunt of it. With winter comes changes, like the weather, and the holidays, and the very distinct difference in mood, atmosphere, and aesthetic. I find black metal to fit winter quite well, so naturally I jam a lot of black metal around this time of year.

My latest black metal discovery was a raw atmospheric black metal band from Chile called Scargzlot, they released their new record “Wolf’s Atonement” back in August and it will certainly be the soundtrack to my winter. This album sounds and feels like desperately searching for home while running through a blizzard in the dead of night, It’s pretty intense shit.

The production here is really raw, but it works quite well. Rather than being abrasive or earrapey, the quality of production feeds into the dark, cold, and uneasy atmosphere of the album. The vocals on this album and the way they are mixed adds to the overall chilling atmosphere of the record. They are very desperate and evil sounding, but they’re mixed pretty far back, and they sound distinctly distant. It’s like, as you’re running through that above mentioned blizzard you’re screaming for help, but your screams are muffled by the intensity of the wind, or in the context of the album, the riffs.

The riffs really are massive on this record, they’re right at the forefront of the mix, and when listening to it I can just feel them encompassing me. It’s an odd feeling, and if you’re a black metal or doom metal fan you likely know exactly what I’m on about.

While traditional atmospheric black metal is the main focal point of the record, there are some other styles explored. “Crawling Back To The Grave” sees them flexing some staggering doom influences and song structures. The album closes out with a minimalistic dark ambient piece that is pretty effective in ending off the album with an eerie and unsettling vibe.

This one man band will be essential listening for me this season, and I think it should be for you guys too. This is some great stuff!

8/10