Album Reviews

Metalrage "Societatis Draconistrarum" (7.10.2005 Reviewed by Arcane)

• Now the days are getting longer, the weather is changing and the leaves are falling, I'm beginning to prefer the darker music again. Well, it's not that I don't listen to black or doom metal in spring or summer, but I'm sure you will all admit that the winter gives the best condition to enjoy dark metal. So I'm pleased I can review ‘Societatis Draconistrarum' by Argath .
  Argath was formed in 1997. They recorded some demos and now they unleash their first album ‘Societatis Draconistrarum' . After a little research on the net I found out it is a 2 man band. But lets talk about ‘Societatis Draconistrarum' . I really like atmosphere on the album, it gives me this nice sinister feeling. The balance of the guitars and the synths is okay.
  When I first heard the name Argath I thought it would be a black metal band, but it is more than just that. ‘Societatis Draconistrarum' also has some doom metal elements on it. Especially the song ‘They shall see no future' is more a doom metal song than black metal. It has a great dark atmosphere which I really like. But most of the songs are mid or up tempo. I like the balance of black metal screams and doom metal grunts though.Something I noticed during listening ‘Societatis Draconistrarum' is that the drums are programmed. But I must say Argath did quite a good job on that. The blast parts sound a little clinical though. I think most of the listeners won't even notice it. Another thing I noticed is a guitar lick which sounds almost the same as a lick of Cradle of Filth . Luckily it's just only that lick.Allthough I think this album is quite okay, I'm happy the cd is not longer then 35 minutes. It's just not refreshing and 35 minutes is really enough.

Sonos Metallicos "Societatis Draconistrarum" (18.8.2005 Reviewed by Aki Nuopponen)

(Written in Finnish)

• Ilmeisesti Argathin tapauksessa voidaan puhua kohtalaisesti paitsioon jääneestä bändistä, ainakin jos päätelmiä pitää tehdä sen perusteella, miten paljon Suomen kokoisessa maassa on tällä nimellä kulkevasta orkesterista kuullut. Argath on julkaissut kaikkiaan viisi demoa sen jälkeen, kun yhtye perustettiin vuonna 1997, joten ainakin omaan musiikkiin on haluttu panostaa viimeisen päälle. Tämä työ palkitaan ainakin levy-yhtiön toimesta nyt vuonna 2005, Argathin julkaistessa debyytti-albuminsa Societatis Draconistrarumin, joka ei todellakaan ollut mikään helppo tapaus missään vaiheessa. Jos yhtyeen musiikkia haluaa määritellä pinnallisesti, taipuisivat määritelmät varmasti melodisen black-metallin puolelle, mutta jo ensimmäinen kuuntelu osoitti, ettei tässä piile koko totuus. Albumi vaatikin melkoisesti kuunteluja, ennen kuin se alkoi raottaa tummia verhojaan edes hieman selkeämmin.
  
  Tietyllä tapaa Argathin ulosanti on hyvin tunnistettavaa ja herättää tämän takia mielleyhtymiä moniin yhtyeisiin, kuten lähinnä Cradle of Filthiin ja iloiseksi yllätykseksi jopa Limbonic Artiin, mutta ihan tällaisille tasoille bändi ei jää. Ennen kaikkea merkittävää on se, kuinka yhtye hyödyntää sävellyksissään melko laajalla alalla erilaisia tempoja, jolloin nopeimmista paahdoista saatetaan lennähtää hyvinkin nopeasti hitaampiin ja hieman raskaampiin osuuksiin. Tämä nouseekin melodisuuksien ohella yhtyeen parhaaksi puoleksi, sillä varsinkin hitaammat osuudet toimivat parhaimmillaan hienosti tunnelmia luoden, mutta ei Argath silti kovin hääville tasolle nouse. Riffit ovat kaiken kaikkiaan melkoista tusinamateriaalia, sovitukselliset ratkaisut eivät luo kappaleisiin minkäänlaista rakenteellista dynaamisuutta ja perusratkaisutkin ovat toisinaan hieman rempallaan, jolloin lievästä sekametelisopasta tulee hieman puuduttavaa kuultavaa, varsinkin kun myös kolkot soundit jäävät kauaksi vaaditusta raakuudesta ja voimasta.
  
  Äänimaailman suttuisuus ei todellakaan aseta kaikkein suotuisimpia lähtökohtia Argathin albumille, jolla on olemassa hyvinkin vahvoja puolia, joita nämä mainitut soundit eivät tue millään tavalla. Jo mainittu onnistunut tyylittely tempojen vaihdoksien kanssa luo albumille monin paikoin hienoa kontrastia, minkä lisäksi kitaroiden ja koskettimien vuorotellen pääosassa luomat sfäärit saavat toisinaan aikaan mallikasta jälkeä, jossa yhdistyvät toisinaan jopa black-, death- ja thrash-metalliset piirteet. Argath saavuttaa hetkittäin perinteisyydestään huolimatta kulkevia koukkuja, joita luodaan varsinkin Apocalyptic Speechilla, They Shall See No Futurella ja The Water That You Breathella , mutta samat viat vainoavat yhtyettä läpi koko albumin. Tunnelmat jäävät lähes jatkuvasti ihan liian laihoiksi, eikä varsinkaan nopeammissa juoksutuksissa vaikuttaisi olevan kunnon otetta mukana, jolloin pääosin kohtalaisesti onnistuneet hitaammatkaan osiot eivät riitä pelastamaan albumia, joka jää valitettavasti lajissaan kasvottomuuden suohon.
  
  Jos Argathilla on vielä joskus tarkoituksenaan päästä jonkinlaiseen tulokseen albumeillaan, olisi sen parempi aloittaa ihan perusasioista, sillä ainakaan tällaisella tuotannolla ja sävellyksien ailahteluilla ei tähtiä tavoitella. Societatis Draconistrarumilla materiaali vaikutti olevan aluksi kovin kaksijakoista, mutta taipui lopulta mitättömämmän materiaalin valtaan, sillä vaikka tietynlaista monipuolisuutta sävellyksistä löytyy, ei siitä ole juurikaan hyötyä toisen puoliskon jäädessä näin selkeästi toisen varjoon. Yhtyeellä on kuitenkin hallussaan hyviäkin ideoita, sillä juuri hitaammat puolet, melodisuudet ja esimerkiksi koskettimien käyttö nousee toisinaan miellyttävälle tasolle, mutta sävellyksien kaiken kattava laatu on vielä kaukana tavoittamattomissa. Yhtyettä ei kannata kuitenkaan vielä haudata, sillä eihän sitä tiedä, vaikka Societatis Draconistrarum olisi vasta alkusoittoa varsinaisille levytyksille.

Powerplayrecords.com "Societatis Draconistrarum" (17.9.2005 Reviewed by Antonis Maglaras)

• If i am not mistaken, i had review their latest demo from Argath , the new black metal act from Finland. Now the guys come back with their debut album through Grey Inertia Productions . Because i receive only the cd-r promo copy, i don't have any clue for the final artwork. So i will write only for the music which is as you can read above in the black metal paths, but in a more majestic atmosphere. You can hear a lot of influences from Limbonic Art , Emperor and old Septic Flesh . The keyboards as always give another atmosphere in the whole album and the production is moody like the weather in Finland. I think Argath transfer excellent the atmosphere from their country and from the black metal to their album. The songs are mid tempo and the black metal vocals aren't so extreme. All in all i can say that i adore the time that i spent in order to hear this album but because i prefer more melodic tunes in the black metal side. But for sure a lot of fans of the black metal music will adore the stuff from Argath. Soon or later you will see them in a bigger label.

  SCORE out of 7.6/10 Antonis Maglaras

Brainscabzine "Societatis Draconistrarum" (27.9.2005 Reviewed by Brainscab)

• Out of the neither region comes a power so great and over powering that there is no known force that can stop it from gathering souls of those who are weak. Cower in the darkness of your mind with the knowledge that there is an end that is worse than life. Argath wipes the smiles off even the most optimistic of the faithful and slaughters the innocent before their time. Using Societatus Draconistaum as the catalyst to erupt forth in a hail of dark death metal that is yet to be heard by the mass. Bringing the beginning of the new over lord of metal this is and shall always be Argath.

Imperiumi "Societatis Draconistrarum" (10.10.2005 Reviewed by Serpent)

(Written in Finnish)

• Vuodesta 1997 kasassa ollut kaksimiehinen Argath esittää debyyttikokopitkällään reilun puolituntisen verran melodista black metaliaan, jossa koskettimet ja nopea tempo eivät ole vieraita käsitteitä. Voisipa myös veikata bändin omaavan runsaita vaikutteita bändeistä kuten Cradle of Filth ja Limbonic Art .
  
  Niin kunnianhimoiselta kuin Societatis Draconistrarum omaperäisyydessään ja kokeilevuudessaan ensin kenties vaikuttaakin, se tekee myös selväksi sen, ettei tuotos ole lainkaan viimeistelty, vaan pikemminkin demotason tuotos levyllä julkaistuna. Musiikillisesti mennään suurelta osalta nopeatempoisesti, syntikoilla kitaroita ja rumpukoneelta kuulostavaa perkussiopuolta säestäen. Vaikka blackmetalmainen lähestymistapa onkin bändi pääasiallinen tyylisuunta, on mukana vivahteita myös death metalin saralta. Lopputulos onkin paikoin varsin sekava sillisalaatti toisaalta tunnelmallista BM-fiilistelyä ja toisaalta perin epäkiinnostavaa äärimetallisoosausta.
  
  Jos itse biisit ovatkin suurelta osin melko hiomattoman oloisia ja tympeitä purskauksia vailla kunnon tarttumapintaa, ei levyn tuotantopuoli tee asiaa yhtään paremmaksi. Kitarasoundit ovat varsin demotasoiset ponnettomalla ja heikolla soundillaan, vaikkeivat nyt sanan varsinaisessa merkityksessä huonot olekaan. Pohjanoteerauksen tekevät kuitenkin varsin halvan ja suoraan sanoen tökerön kuuloiset rumpukonepaukutukset, tai siltä ainakin lopputulos kuulostaa. Aikakautena, jona oikeiden rumpujen korvaaminen pitäisi olla edes suhteellisen vaivatonta menettelevillä soundeilla, tällainen on lähes rimanalitus. Levyn laulusuoritukset edustavat menettelevää keskitasoa niin örinä- kuin rääkylaulunkin puolesta, eikä mukaan ympätyistä puhepätkistä oikeastaan löydy mitään positiivista sanottavaa.
  
  Kaikkiaan Societatis Draconistrarum on levyksi varsin välttävä tapaus, josta on toki matkaa alaspäinkin, mutta ennen kaikkea ylöspäin. Kehitystä ainakin on varaa tapahtua useilla osa-alueilla ennen mestariteoksen syntymistä.
   

Metal UK "Societatis Draconistrarum" (15.7.2005 Reviewed by Adam Starkey)

• ‘Societatis Draconistrarum' is one of those albums that can be genuinely frustrating to listen to. Not because it takes you about ten minutes just to try to pronounce the album title, but because it is an album, which, with a few tweaks here and there, could be excellent.
  
  Argath were formed in 1997 by friends known simply as Gath and W in Finland, and released their first full-length album (following demos ‘Impurity and Chaos' in 1999, ‘Argath' in 2002, and ‘Towards the Void' and ‘I Invoke' both in 2003) under the new extreme metal label Grey Inertia Productions.
  
  The influence of Scandinavian death and black metal bands such as Emperor, Darkthrone and Zyklon cannot be overstated on this album, and it becomes clear almost immediately into the album's opening track.
  
  Throughout the album are black metal riffs kept to a grindcore pace. Many of the songs also implement haunting breakdowns that Swedish progressive black metallers Opeth have made their signature and, to be honest, Argath struggle to replicate with any real conviction.
  
  The guitars become quite repetitive towards the album's conclusion, drowned in sharp distortion, and the vocals are predictably indecipherable. Also, the production of the album is understandably amateur for a new label and lacks real focus when all layers of the band's sound are playing at once. The drums, however, dictate the frenetic pace immaculately and also provide some excellent fills, reminiscent of Morbid Angel's sticksman Pete Sandoval.
  
  This album takes elements of old Akercocke and the earlier work of At The Gates, and mixes it with The Black Dahlia Murder and Cannibal Corpse at their most brutal with Opeth's atmospherics. If you don't like black or death metal, however, this album will do little to change your mind. There is no real direction here and it adds nothing new to either genre.

Eternity Magazin "Societatis Draconistrarum" (5.7.2005 Reviewed by Tim Neuhoff)

• Es fällt schwer dieses Debütalbum angemessen zu beurteilen. Bei genauerer „Betrachtung“ tun sich etliche Kontroversen auf. Manch einer wird monieren, das Album sei weder Fisch noch Fleisch, andere werden wiederum von musikalischer Vielschichtigkeit reden. Manch einen wird dieses Album langweilen, ein anderer wird sich in depressiv – düstere Stimmungen fallen lassen. Black Metal Fans ist „Societatis Draconistrarum“ vielleicht zu doomig geraten, Doom Fans werden ob der schwarzmetallischen Grundlage der Kompositionen die Finger von diesem Album lassen. Eben erwähnte Stilkombination verleiht dem Album einerseits Abwechslung, wie auch ansonsten z.B. beim teils growligen, teils kreischigen, selten auch klaren Gesang, und beim Tempo, das zwischen sehr langsam bis extrem schnell variiert, für viel Abwechslung gesorgt ist. Andererseits wirken die einzelnen Kompositionen gerade deswegen desöfteren auch zerfahren. Hinzu kommen neben etlichen sehr gefühlsintensiven, musikalisch starken und ausgereiften Momenten viele Passagen, die allenfalls durchschnittlich gut klingen. Auch der zwar gut programmierte, aber sehr klinisch – steril klingende Drumcomputer wird nicht jeden überzeugen. Mir persönlich hat dieses Album allerdings gut gefallen. Label: www.greyinertia.com

Nocturnal Hall Magazine "Societatis Draconistrarum" (4.7.2005 Reviewed by Jussi)

• Consisting of a two gents from Finland creating ominous sounding black metal music some can compare ARGATH in the lines of Emperor through the use of the keyboards for which allows this upcoming Finnish duo to rank up with intensity. Guitar sounding riffs are almost earlier Slayer like but other musical aspects create a symphonic doom like essence utilizing the power of black metal through fast drumming to sinister vocals. Though the group has been around since 1997 and produced some mean sounding demos this full-length release would have to be the master album that would pave the way of seriousness to a band well on its way. Overall Societatus Draconistrarum sound production lacks depth in areas but more than makes up for it with raging songs of Beyond The Silent Stars , Faustian to the self-titled album track of Societatus Draconistraru . Harsh and musically cruel ARGATH impales such a wicked art form with this current freshman debut. Well done!

Powermetal.de "Societatis Draconistrarum" (23.6.2005 Reviewed by Rüdiger Stehle)

• ARGATH ist eine Band aus Finnland, die sich grob im Bereich des Black Metal zu Hause fühlt, diesen jedoch nicht dogmatisch den Lehren der alten Schule gemäß zelebriert, sondern durchaus diverse Elemente aus dem melodischen Bombast und der Avantgarde mit einbaut. Das bedeutet, dass wir auf dem Debütalbum "Societatis Draconistratum" durchaus einer Menge atypischer Elemente begegnen, die ARGATH vom traditionellen Black Metal abheben. Das mag für die selbsternannten Verteidiger des wahren Black Metal ein Schwachpunkt sein, für Außenstehende eher das Gegenteil, aber in jedem Fall verleiht es der Band eine gewisse Eigenständigkeit, da sie mithin weder im Einheitsbrei der dritten Liga des klassischen Black Metal untergeht, noch derart stark an die Avantgardisten der Düsterszene erinnert, dass man ihr vorwerfen könnte abzukupfern. Wirklich avantgardistisch ist dieses Werk aber auch nicht. Dafür bewegen sich Riffs und Songstrukturen doch zu sehr in konventionellen Bahnen.
  
  Im Prinzip kann man ARGATH also guten Gewissens dem Bereich des melodischen und epischen Black Metal zuordnen. Das heißt aber noch lange nicht, dass die Finnen wie die beiden bekanntesten Referenzbands jener Stilrichtung klingen würden. Bei ARGATH ist die Epik von doomiger Natur, die Keyboards sind mehr atmosphärisch als kitschig-bombastisch und der Gesang pendelt auf sehr angenehme Weise zwischen den dominanten tiefen aber nachvollziehbaren Growls, sowie gelegentlichem Kreischen, vereinzelt sehr effektiv eingesetzten Sprachsamples und sogar kurzen klar gesungenen Passagen. Was "Societatis Draconsistratum" zudem auszeichnet, sind die häufigen Wechsel vom schnellen Grundtempo in sehr dramatische Passagen mit stark gedrosseltem Tempo, in denen statt eiskalt durchzogenen Geschrotes auch Platz bleibt für eindringliche melodische Riffs und Gitarrenleads mit Wiedererkennungswert, was etwa das Ende von 'The Astral Prophecy' ganz toll verdeutlicht. Wenn ihr unbedingt Vergleiche mit anderen Bands braucht, dann sei ganz vorsichtig EMPERORs "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk" genannt, an das manche Passage des ARGATHschen Schaffens dezent erinnert. Allerdings sind die Kompositionen der Finnen weniger extrem und spürbar einfacher strukturiert. So ist es auch mehr die Atmosphäre von Stücken wie dem eröffnenden Titeltrack, welche diese Assoziation weckt, als das musikalische Schaffen an sich, das sich durch die Hinzunahme von typisch finnisch klingenden Goth-Elementen, den teilweise etwas deathmetallastigeren Gesang und die sehr vordergründigen Keyboards schon sehr deutlich von den norwegischen Kaisern abgrenzt.
  
  Problematisch ist, dass dieses Album trotz sehr guter Ansätze und zweifellos vorhandener musikalischer Fähigkeiten nicht ganz so mitreißend geworden ist, wie es vielleicht hätte sein können. Das Schlagzeug wirkt streckenweise sehr künstlich und steril, was den Verdacht nahe legt, dass hier programmiert wurde. Das beeinträchtigt den Hörgenuss zwar nur unwesentlich, trägt jedoch gemeinsam mit der sehr polierten Produktion seinen Teil dazu bei, dass "Societatis Draconsistratum" etwas unorganisch wirkt und so ein wenig Distanz zum Hörer wahrt und nicht richtig fesselt. Bevor die Besprechung aber eine zu negative Schlagseite bekommt, möchte ich hinzufügen, dass die genannten Mängel keineswegs meinen positiven Gesamteindruck zerstören. Sie erklären einfach nur, warum mich dieses Debüt trotz hervorragender Ansätze und überzeugender Umsetzung nicht hundertprozentig in seinen Bann schlägt. Da sich aber eure Wahrnehmung durchaus von der meinen unterscheiden kann, möchte ich euch doch empfehlen, euch hier näher über die Band zu informieren, wenn melodischer, abwechslungsreicher Black Metal mit viel Keyboard und leichtem Hang zur Avantgarde auf eurem Speiseplan steht.
  
  Anspieltipps: Societatis Draconistratum, The Astral Prophecy

Metalglory "Societatis Draconistrarum" (22.6.2005 Reviewed by Steffi)

• ARGATH sind weder Fisch noch Fleisch. Es scheint, als können sie sich nicht recht entscheiden, ob sie sich nun lieber im Black Metal versuchen, oder doch eher gotischen angehauchten Doom spielen wollen. So entstand nun ein ziemlich undurchsichtiges Wirrwarr aus düsteren Klängen, die nur allzu unordentlich dahingeschrammelt dröhnen.
  Trotz einem 8jährigen Bandbestehen schafft es das finnische Duo leider nicht zu begeistern.
  Es sind durchaus richtig gute Parts vorhanden: Ein kehliger Gesang, zu melodramatischer Melodieführung, schleppend träge Doom – Anteile, aber eben auch seltsame Synthi Töne...
  Zu viel davon in einem Lied ungünstig miteinander verwoben wirk es jedoch letztendlich sehr anstrengend.
  Das erste Lied ist, im Gegensatz zu dem was dann folgt noch richtig gelungen. Langatmig steht dann für langweilig und so kann man eigentlich nur noch sagen: 9 Stücke in knapp 35 Minuten...zum Glück.

Metalwhore "Societatis Draconistrarum" (17.6.2005 Reviewed by Jeff)

• Argath are a Finnish horde formed in Finland in 1997. With just two members, they have five demos and this full length under their belt. Societatis Draconistrarum is a nice slice of melodic Black Metal mixing equal parts Emperor , (early) Dimmu and some Arcturus thrown in for good measure.
  
  The vocals are extremely unique. Both members trade off of one another, balancing a gruff, death metal growl with harsh BM-style whispers. Some of the vocals are manipulated a little…with killer results. They also do some excellent bass/guitar riffing. It's obvious both musicians have several years of playing under their belts.
  
  The only criticism I can come up with be (what I'm assuming is) the drum machine. I have no problems with programmed drumming, but these sound a little weak and too electronic. I think this brand of melodic BM needs some real drumming. I understand sometimes that's easier said than done. The other thing is the keyboards. Now there is very sparse use of them, but occasional the piano sound is a little overpowering.
  
  Standout Tracks: Apocalyptic Speech, The Astral Prophecy
  
  These guys are well worth checking out. Contact the band direct or the label for info on obtaining a copy.

Live 4 metal "Societatis Draconistrarum" (10.6.2005 Reviewed by Oliver Cass)

• Having never heard of Argath before, I had a peek at their site to find out a little about them. It didn't tell me much; I now know they've released a few demos, and that they're a two-man band, but where the hell are they from, I wondered? I figured out in the end, that they're Finnish.
  If you go to the Grey Inertia site, and on to the “About us” page, you'll see their “goal is to release music that is different from the Metal mainstream and has a unique feeling to it.” I admit I was very sceptical about how “different” Argath were going to sound.
  Well it certainly doesn't start off differently, but it's really rather good all the same. The title track greets us with quite an atmospheric keyboard section, driven along by the bass drums, which changes to a jumpy riff with more of thrashy snare beat. This alternates about four or five times, stops, and heads off into the main part of the song, alongside a scream and blast. The guy half sings in this too, which made me cringe on my first listen. I don't have a problem with it now though, in fact I quite like it, and it compliments the mournful waily guitar well.
  Second track, “Apocalyptic Speech” absolutely bored me for at least my first two listens. Now though, yeah, me likes! It's far slower than the previous number, and has a very atmospheric start. It's got a crawling chuggy riff, and the vocals are much more Death-like.
  I could not work out, for the life of me, who “Beyond the Silent Stars” reminded me of – until the blasting started! The wonderful, widdly riff is so “Dusk…and her Embrace” era Cradle, it's great! It's just the one riff though, and they sound nothing like Cradle, 95% of the time, so don't be put off. “The Water that you Breathe” has a mysterious sound, really brought about by the distinct keyboards. It ends with an almost lovely piano display, and on hearing this, I wondered “where are they going with this?” Hehe…well, the timing is very regular, and so in come the bass drums and a cymbal, snare tsk, tsk, dun, tsk, tsk, dun. It made me laugh at first, but definitely works. “Genocide Winds” follows the mysterious route, but branches off, switching between blasting with thrashy riffs, and a more rhythmic approach which is largely dominated by enchanting, cosmic keys. You'd probably expect “The Astral Prophecy” to be enmeshed in keys, but isn't at all; it's probably the most straight forward song on the album, throwing its thrash roots around to kingdom come. I was really expecting this album to be Black Metal orientated, but I can't decide on what to call it. There's a darkness to it, that suggests Black Metal to me, but it's much more than that. It's clearly thrash influenced, and the vocals rotate between growls, high pitched shrieks, completely distorted spacey drain like noises, and half growl, half singing (a bit like Bodom's Alexi Laiho does from time to time). On top of that, there's a beautiful classical influx, which is scattered here, there and everywhere, keeping us aware of it's presence throughout. I wouldn't say they were different, but at the same time, they've found a sound of their own; and apart from that Cradle comparison, I can't think of a single other band that they remind me of. That sounds like a contradiction doesn't it, but that's exactly how I see Argath.

Tombstone "Societatis Draconistrarum" (4.6.2005 Reviewed by ?)

• This is the debut album of this Finnish band, although they have released in the past as many as five demos. The music can be described as raw black metal and their debut album has some good and some bad points. The good things are the vocals and the guitars. I like the fact that their singer is actually trying to sing (and yes brutal vocals can be described as singing) and I like the double guitars. They do have some excellent riffs in the album. The problem is that the band consists of only two members and while they can easily take care of the bass parts, it's not the same with the drums. The lack of a drummer affects their music and programmed drums simply can't substitute the real thing. Another thing they should improve is the arrangements and of course the production which is not good at all. I think that they should try to fill the gaps in the line up and improve a bit as songwriters and things will be great for them in the future.

Metal Norge "Societatis Draconistrarum" (2.6.2005 Reviewed by Gnombob)

• Dette er finske Argath sitt første album, og jeg er nesten så frekk at jeg håper det blir det siste. Men jeg kan ikke la all den negative energien i rommet fortrenge det positive her. For det finnes da noe positivt her. Bitte litt… ihvertfall… eller.
  
  Alt ved denne utgivelsen er kjeeedelig. Intetsigende coverart, kjedelig bandlogo og krånglete albumtittel. Tekstene var ikke med promoen, men de er sikkert hinsides all kjedsomhet de og.
  
  Og jeg har ikke tatt for meg musikken enda. Låtene glir over i hverandre og albumet er ferdig uten at jeg legger merke til de forskjellige låtene. Åtte låter, og en outro. Avantgardisk black metal, så soft og polert at jeg nesten sovner. Null stemning, null kulde, null trøkk. Lite tøft, med andre ord. Om produksjonen trekker så veldig ned, tviler jeg på. Selve musikken her er skammelig kjedelig. Noen småbra riff her og der, uten at jeg har peiling på hvilke låter de finnes på. Outroen var litt kul, ellers er dette egentlig ikke noe å skrive om på nettet. Dette er som en dårlig kopi av en kopi av Tidfall som igjen har blitt kopiert av en dårlig kopi av Arcturus .

Noise.fi "Societatis Draconistrarum" (1.6.2005 Reviewed by Juha Wuorinen)

• Aina toisinaan törmää levyyn, josta saa yhtä pitävän otteen kuin rasvalla päällystetystä vesi-ilmapallosta. Tällainen on Argathin debyytti sanahirviö Societatis Draconistrarum. Useankaan kuuntelukerran jälkeen ei voinut vielä olla varma, mitä levy itseasiassa piti sisällään. Välillä liikutaan vahvastikin Cradle of Filthin uran alkuaikojen maalmoissa ja ainakin Beyond the Silent Starsin alussa tavattava sirkkelöinti tuntuisi olevan velkaa Dusk and Her Embrace -lätylle.

  Biisit soljuvat kohtalaisen toimivasti eteenpäin ja tunnelmat vaihtelevat hitaammista suvannoista nopeampaan paatokseen. Melodiat välillä toimivat hienosti ja toisinaan liikutaan melko kauaskin kotisatamasta raikkaiden tuulahdusten perässä. Mutta siltikin levystä tuntui löytyvän eräänlainen ikävä ennalta-arvattavuuden leima. Äänipoliittisesti kitarasoundit ovat ensimmäinen negatiivinen asia, joka korvaan sälähtää. Ne kun eivät sitten vakuuta millään tavalla sillä niistä uupuu täysin black metalliin olennaisesti kuuluva avaintekijä: väkivaltaisuus. Nyt ne vain soivat mitäänsanomattomina siellä jossain purkissaan koluten omia, toisinaan mielenkiintoisiakin riffejä, joista olisi saatu toisenlaisella tuotannolla paljon enemmän irti. Konerummut tukevat kitara/kosketin-yhdistelmää tavalla, joka ei jätä paljoa arvailujen varaan. Hitaammissa kohdissa rummut eivät niinkään häiritse vaan auttavat tunnelmaa kasvamaan, mutta nopeammissa kohdissa konesoundi hakkaa armotta korvaan.

  Parhaimmillaan bändi on hitaammissa pätkissään, joissa tunnelma välillä kohoaa kovinkin innostavaksi. Sen sijaan vihaisempiin, nopeisiin juoksuihin ei tunnuta saavan oikeata vihaa ammennettua vaan homma tuntuu hieman liikaa tekemällä tehdyltä. Esimerkkinä They Shall See No Future , joka toimii mallikkaasti kun taas hieman itämaisesti melodioiva nimikkoralli ei jaksa juuri innostaa kuuntelemaan uudelleen. Tuotanto on tämän kokonaisuuden heikoin lenkki siitä ei pääse yli eikä ympäri, vaikka yrittäisi sorkkaraudan ja dynamiitin avulla. Musiikin pyrkiessä repimään äärimmäisyyksien rajoja auki, ei soundien soisi jäävän paitsioon keskikentälle.

Terrorverlag "Societatis Draconistrarum" (31.5.2005 Reviewed by TK)

• Zuerst die Basics: ARGATH wurde im Jahre 1997 von den finnischen Herren Gath & W. gegründet, das erste Demo folgte 2 Jahre später („Impurity and Chaos“). Im Laufe der Zeit folgten einige weitere Eigenproduktionen, und nun ist es an der Zeit die Welt mit dem offiziellen Debüt zu beglücken. Der Titel „Societatis Draconistrarum” bezieht sich dabei aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach auf den mittelalterlichen Drachenorden, der 1408 vom Römischen Imperator Sigismund ins Leben gerufen wurde und als eine Art Geheimbund gegen die Türken diente. So weit so gut, die Musik zählt.
  
  Und die bedient sich diverser Bestandteile: Smphonischer Black Metal, Doom Parts und thrashige Passagen wechseln sich ab, teilweise innerhalb der einzelnen Songs. Dem Vernehmen nach war man früher deutlich rauer und schwarzmetallischer angehaucht, das kann ich aber jetzt nicht überprüfen. Tatsache ist aber der nicht unbeträchtliche Einsatz von Keyboards (die meist mit den Gitarrenmelodien „mitlaufen“) und ein Drumcomputer, der etwas uninspiriert vor sich hin trommelt. Die Produktion als solches ist zwar nicht schlecht, aber etwas dumpf und verwaschen, was eher zu den slowen als zu den rasenden Parts passt. Jedenfalls kann der Opener mit seinen Blastparts zu Beginn, die ihr Ende in einem schönen Midtempoteil finden (mit orientalisch angehauchten Riffs), durchaus überzeugen. „Apocalyptic Speech“ klingt dann deutlich zähflüssiger, während „Beyond the Silent Stars“ old PARADISE LOST Parts mit Gekeife, 80er Thrash und sphärischen Synthetik Passagen verbindet. Leicht eigenartig und gewöhnungsbedürftig. Und so geht es auch weiter über insgesamt gut 34 Minuten.
  
  Eine Scheibe mit Potenzial und einigen interessanten Passagen, die auf mich aber aufgrund der Produktion und des teilweise fehlenden Flusses ein wenig uneinheitlich wirkt. Die Homepage bietet einige Hörproben genauso wie die Bestellmöglichkeit direkt beim Label, von daher hört einfach mal rein, wenn ihr mit den angesprochenen Genres keine Probleme habt.

Metalcrypt "Societatis Draconistrarum" (30.5.2005 Reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)

• Finally, after much waiting, we get a full-length album from the mighty Argath, Finland's best fucking Black Metal band. We, the faithful fans, have been waiting a long time for the much-delayed release of a real album, and damned if it wasn't worth the wait.

  If you are a fan of Argath already, you should know that this is the fulfillment of every scrap of promise their demos ever gave. If you don't know this excellent band, then you need to get ahold of this right away. In style Argath are both easy and hard to describe, because I can easily say they are like a more melodic version of early Emperor with some Celtic Frost thrown in, but that doesn't really cover it. What I love about Argath is that they are vicious and aggressive, but they have a very sharp songwriting style and always keep the changes coming in every song. They never belabor an idea to death, but they give it just enough play to be cool without wearing out. Argath are not married to the tremolo, and their riffs are actually very chunky and catchy, yet they maintain that Finnish knack for melody that is simply inescapable. This album is not speed-obsessed, and there are a lot of slower parts and midpaced interludes, but these are just as cool as the faster parts due to that haunting melodic dash that is like a Finnish trademark. Vocals are harsh, of course, but vary from rasp to growl, and so do not get boring either.

  This is just a first-rate album, and the only reason I do not rate it even higher is because I know this band will surpass this album with their next, and I want to leave room above it. If there is any justice, this CD will get enough exposure to get on 'best of' lists later this year, as obscurity is the only thing that could possibly hold this band back. Argath rules, and "Societatis Draconistrarum" was worth every bit of the wait. Rating: 4.5/5

Walls of fire "Societatis Draconistrarum" (30.5.2005 Reviewed by Deadnextdoor)

• Argath aus Finnland haben sich dem melodischen Black Metal verschrieben, verwenden dementsprechend viele Keyboards und schießen wie leider so oft mit dem Einsatz der Tasteninstrumente manchmal etwas über das Ziel hinaus. Zwar sind die Keys nicht bei jedem Stück flächendeckend präsent, kommen sie jedoch einmal zum Einsatz, dann ist das alles nur billiges Geklimper, für das man wahrscheinlich nur zwei Finger benötigt hat – es sei denn, man benutzt das Instrument als Hintergrunduntermalung bei Nummern wie „The Astral Prophecy“, dann nimmt man das gerne an. Im Gegensatz dazu sind die pseudo-klassischen Elemente bei „The Water That You Breathe“ und beim Outro „Denouement“ eher peinlich als gut.

  Vom Songwriting her scheinen Argath von den üblichen Verdächtigen beeinflusst worden zu sein. Dimmu Borgir, Dissection, usw. schimmern hier durch, jedoch kommen Argath nicht einmal ansatzweise an deren Level heran. Manche Tracks gehen zwar noch in Ordnung, mit „They Shall See No Future“ hat man sogar einen echten Hammersong am Start, der Rest ist aber eher bieder und langweilig, vor allem dann, wenn die Riffs sich zu sehr an den Death Metal anlehnen wie bei „Apocalyptic Speech“. Man hat eben alles schon einmal irgendwo anders gehört, und auch wenn Argath keine echte Kopie der oben angeführten Bands sind, so fehlt ihnen einfach jegliche eigene Idee. Zudem haben die Jungs auch an den Instrumenten noch nicht die spieltechnische Klasse, um mit den großen Nummern aus Skandinavien mithalten zu können. Nichts Frisches, kaum Eigenständiges und wenig Spannung – „Societatis Draconistarum“ kann man beruhigt im Händlerregal stehen lassen!

666 Metal "Societatis Draconistrarum" (29.5.2005 Reviewed by Excelver)

•  Finnish newcomers Argath craft melodic black metal that is reminiscent of any number of established styles, depending on what mood the band is in at the moment. Their debut full-length is a TV dinner of extreme styles- something for everyone. A little doom here, a little death there, now fast-paced black metal, now melodic heavy metal- it's all well played and constructed and I suppose this gets credit for being better than a lot of releases in metal, but in this age of countless bands and saturated underground scenes that doesn't necessarily say much.

  In an attempt to craft a unique sound, these metal fans have mixed a number of styles into the typical black metal stew of sound. To a degree this method works, as average songs in frequently shifting styles are bound to hold the listener's attention longer than average songs in the same style. The production is nice and punchy and the band is technically skilled and adept at whatever the moment is devoted to- be it Mayhem worship or doomy crawlbeats.

  This band definitely has its moments and the songwriting is generally fair, but the band's attempts at innovation are based more in welding different stylistic approaches into workable songs than creating anything genuinely new. That's not to say it's not worth the time of day- the band doesn't try anything beyond its ability and many may enjoy this release, especially for its doomier melancholy. These Finns deserve credit where they can find room, but for the most part this falls short of being truly innovative and may fail to enthrall once the initial novelty of the collage of styles wears off.

  Similar to: Zyklon, Paradise Lost, Mayhem

Metalreview "Societatis Draconistrarum" (26.5.2005 Reviewed by Chris Chellis)

• Don't let the generalized band description fool you. While Argath might in fact be raw black metal, the Finnish two-piece is also quite thrashy and accessible, building its sound from a structure consisting of strong riffs that perhaps carry too much of a burden in terms of the group's value.
  
  Good news first: Societatis Draconistrarum , Argath 's first full length, will appeal to the less die-hard majority of metalheads. I am not one to take polls, but I feel safe in assuming that most who consider themselves fans of metal aren't exactly playing pin the tail on the goat while blasting Burzum or Darkthrone , the point being that black metal ain't exactly the easiest thing to get into. Common complaints are random shrieks disguised as vocals, derivative, monotonous guitar tones and talented, but ultimately boring and masturbatory drum work. Hey, don't shoot the messenger. Fortunately, Argath keeps the shrieking to a minimum, and when vocalist Gath pipes in it fits the music. As easy as that sounds, I've heard a number of BM bands that ruin the sound they've established by butchering it with horrible vocals. Bands like Urgehal , and now Argath , are the exception.  The twin guitar attack sets the musical tone and direction, while the vocals adapt to that established tone, not the other way around.
  
  Easily the most alluring aspect of Societatis Draconistrarum is the aforementioned guitar that conjures delectably evil gods with which to seduce their listeners with epic chord progressions and riffs ala everyone's favorite jaded historian and black metal legend, Mr. Varg V. "Apocalyptic Speech," the second track on the album, builds its pace through the use of appropriately depressing synthesizer selections, which, if edited into a horror film, would come into play after the killer had brutally murdered everyone and the film was nearing end credits, only to progress to a mid-pace play with chords that sound remarkably old school without sacrificing originality. The seventh track on this nine track full-length, "Faustian," serves as an example of another element of Argath 's effort-thrash influences. While listening to the album I got a clear sense of time and place; the infant years of the early '90s, when black metal was still establishing itself. The opening riff and accompanying vocals could easily fit into the death metal category, but at the 0:32 mark the listener is treated to a thrash breakdown that could easily be ripped from Rust in Peace . A death metal breakdown at 1:10 seals the deal; this, while black metal, is an amalgamation of so many earlier genres (death, thrash, NWBHM, etc.) that one can't help but describe it as primitive, much like the earliest black metal releases.
  
  Now for the bad news; programmed drums. While the lack of a physical drummer doesn't effectively ruin the entire listening experience, it does chip away a considerable chunk of character Gath and W had developed with their guitars. The drummer plays such a central role in black metal that it's hard to imagine any album in the genre without one. However, if one can focus more closely on the guitars and apply a more open-minded approach to drumming, one will come to terms with this shortcoming, which through careful consideration I now think of as fairly petty in the midst of so many stronger elements which have been pushed to the forefront by production that stresses ambience, guitars, and bass over drums. Ultimately, I give one and a half chewed-up blackened thumbs up to Argath's Societatis Draconistrarum , which through inventive riffs and interesting chord progressions proves Argath to be as convincingly tight in full form as its earlier demos promised.

Vampire Magazine "Societatis Draconistrarum" (24.5.2005 Reviewed by Neithan)

• In December 2003 I reviewed Argath's demo “I invoke”, which was a promising piece of noisy melodic black metal, in the vein of Limbonic Art, only more melodic. So naturally I was more than curious about Argath's official debut, which will finally be released in June 2005. Well, the album is in the same style, but more melodic and regarding feeling completely different…
  On this album the ‘noisy' aspect has gone, and black metal is put rather to the background… The sound of the album is less dark than the demo, and I feel that with this open sound production that special touch of intensiveness from the demo has been narrowed down... Something essential from the demo is missing, though the musicianship on the album is beyond doubt and the style of Argath hasn't changed that much in the basics: good sound, good songs, and a mixture of Paradise lost/My Dying Bride like doom/gothic, dominant keyboards and piano and thrash; a strange combination and therefore hard to comprehend…
  
  Opener ‘Societatis Dragonistrarum' starts furious, with (keyboard) chords that remind me of Melechesh, and after the break the song becomes slow, heavy and epic, with guitar lines that do have a touch of that feeling of Paradise Lost, and in the end it is intense and heavy, almost in the vein of Limbonic Art, just with more basic arrangements. Immediately after that comes a dark doom song, which is than immediately followed by intense and heavy ‘Beyond The Silent Stars'. Going from one extreme to another, it kind of destroys the homogeneity of the album… That is actually what to expect: hyper fast passages, thrashing parts and doom parts, often combined in one song…
  The song that is closest to their old style is ‘Faustian', in which the black metal feeling is most present. And closing track ‘The Astral Prophecy' can be downloaded from the band's website; well chosen pick as it is a typical Argath composition with all the elements mentioned (just a little more thrash and a little less doom), only a bit more intense and dark than the general feeling of this album.
  
  Argath is trying to create a mix of a little black (lesser and lesser), thrash en doom/gothic melodic passages… The band can play them all, yet now it is a matter of putting more line into it, so that the album sounds more as a whole. Now the bands are put so close to each other (also regarding the split seconds of silence in between the songs), that it is hard to hear when one song starts because of all those breaks for a listener that is not paying close attention to the album. At the moment, Argath is hard to be compared with any other band due to the diversity of their songs, so if they succeed in forging the songs more into a unity, with a bit of a darker sound, there will certainly be a possibility for this Finnish outfit. Until then, we have a nice debut here at hand. I am curious in which direction the band will develop further…

Archaic metallurgy "Societatis Draconistrarum" (21.5.2005 Reviewed by Lane)

• 'Societatis Draconistrarum' (Latin for The Order of the Dragon) is Argath's debut album. If the band's demos (4 official plus 1 unofficial recording) were more or less black metal, this album is less. Yes, here's very fast black metal parts, but also a lot of mid-paced metal and atmospheric slow passages.

  'Societatis Draconistrarum' sounds kind of familiar, but still not any certain band. Argath's countrymen Evemaster, Norway's disbanded Limbonic Art and Greece's legendary Septic Flesh are good trinity where I can draw links to while listening to this. I can't comment whether lyrical theme(s) of the album are black metal (the lyrics aren't included on promo copy) or not, but musically this sounds more like dark metal in my ears. Dark melodies are abound throughout the album, some simply fantastic, others heard many many times before. Vocals are mainly ugly black metal voice, but there's different fitting styles used. Synth (generally okay) plays as important part of the music as guitar. Cover art is very Moonfog-esque, but I really can't relate Argath to that label's bands.

  'Societatis Draconistrarum' has its good moments, but sound destroys something vital, especially during more aggressive parts. Drum machine is shite, powerless and sometimes inaudible. Guitars are quite heavy and definitely the power ingredient of the album. Synths are preset sounds, but they are good for what they are. Vocals are quite quiet. Echo, which doesn't create any atmosphere, but on the contrary, makes everything too incoherent. Probably recorded at home "studio".

  'Societatis Draconistrarum' doesn't do much to me. As mentioned, it has some good moments, but majority of the album has been heard before. Dark metal fans might want to check this out, if you miss the two aforementioned disbanded legendary bands. With this album, Argath will not rise among the legends, but they still have threads in their own hands.

  Rating: 5- (out of 10)

Myrrthronth "Societatis Draconistrarum" (24.5.2005 Reviewed by Amicus)

• Allzu lange möchte ich euch nicht mit Argath's neuem Album aufhalten, da sich hier, nach den doch etwas besseren Demos, mittelmäßige, zum Teil schwerstens langweilige Passagen eingeschlichen haben. Erstes Anzeichen für die allgemeine Anbiederung dürfte das Frontcover sein, welches zum Teil an spätere Satyricon-Verbrechen erinnert - Moonfog grüßt aus allen Ecken. Versucht man etwa, sich bei den Norwegern einzuschleimen? Ehrlich gesagt will ich es gar nicht wissen... 
  Der Opener und Titeltrack in einem ist darüber hinaus das durchdachteste Lied, zwar ziemlich viel Synthie-Geklimper, aber nichtsdestotrotz in Ordnung - den mit der Zeit öden Mittelteil hätten die Jungs aber ruhig in den Papierkorb werfen können. Das, was danach kommt, ist eine bunte Mischung guter und nicht so umwerfender Ideen, richtig mies wird es erst mit dem völlig überflüssigen Outro, das als Spielzeitverlängerer gelten dürfte. Selbst die teilweise nervtötend billigen Keyboardklänge oder das künstliche Schlagzeugspiel stehen über dieser Trommelfellvergewaltigung. Was dieses Werk wirklich rettet, sind die sauberen Riffs, deren Qualität indes stets schwankt: Manchmal gibt's feinste Kost aus dem Thrash- oder eben BM-Laden, zeitweise leider auch simpelste, schon tausende Male umgesetzte Melodien, welche glücklicherweise aber nicht überwiegen. Stimmlich liegt die Truppe wieder irgendwo im Mittelfeld, überwiegend grunzend, da und dort kurzes Gekreische. Komischerweise springt mir der Bandname "Kvist" ins Gesicht, was vor allem an den stellenweise sehr dunkel gefärbten Keysounds liegt, nüchtern betrachtet stimmt aber die Relation keinesfalls. Diese Gruppe wird zukünftig nur mit unglaublich viel Mühe an das Niveau des göttlichen "For Kunsten..." herankommen. 
  Fazit: Hätte ich die Möglichkeit, alle guten Elemente des vorliegenden Opus in einen einzigen Song zu packen, käme ich auf gut sechs Minuten, beileibe nicht auf 'ne gute halbe Stunde. "Societatis Draconistrarum" strotzt vor zähen Durchschnittsideen... sollte in Zukunft geändert werden, bevor die Mannen hinter Argath sich nochmalig blicken lassen! 5/10

Obskure "Societatis Draconistrarum" (24.5.2005 Reviewed by Emmanuël)