Ninkharsag – Blood of Celestial Kings. (Candlelight Records, 2015).

Ninkharsag set out to create Ancient Black Metal Art, and they certainly have not failed in this quest. An astounding release, evoking the spirit of European Black Metal from between 1992-1997, this is a magnificent debut album by a band that is set to conquer far and wide. From the start of the song The Sciarii, the listener is enraptured by the furious assault delivered by the band. The riffs are well written and catchy, enchanting the listener and helping to weave not only unique, ethereal atmospheric pieces, but also burying the songs deep within your mind. There are older Ninkharsag songs from previous releases, such as The Essential Salts of Human Dust, along with songs that were written for the album. Whilst various riffs remind me of Wolfs Lair Abyss era Mayhem or early Dissection, ultimately Ninkharsag are able to create their own twist on the classic sound, with stand out tracks including the Apocalyptic Ninkharsag, especially the Earth shattering section starting around. The production quality is good, but not too clean or sterile, thus helping bring an extra bite to the music.

8/10.