After the long silence that followed 1999's Hell Eternal, many observers had given up Sweden's ever-unstable Setherial for dead, but 2003's Endtime Divine finds the group unexpectedly reborn, soaring out of Hell's flaming abyss much like the pitchfork-wielding demons that grace the album's cover. A fitting piece of artwork this is, too, given the group's unwavering dedication to pure, unadulterated, old-school Scandinavian black metal. Indeed, where longtime associates such as Enslaved and Ulver have gradually (gulp!) evolved into more refined realms of ambient and symphonic metal, Setherial stand firm in defense of the genre's uncompromising "ancient ways." Sure enough, brain-pummeling, breathtaking, flesh-ripping assaults such as "Crimson Manifestation," "The Night of all Nights," and "Storms" foist throat-lacerating vocals, razor-sharp guitar work, and blistering blast-beats upon the listener, making only rare concessions to melody or more relaxed pacing. Therefore, abundant endurance and nerves of steel are required of those who would withstand the brutalizing intensity and widespread devastation taking place over the course of the album's 40 minutes. In other words, Endtime Divine is perfect fodder for fans of true Scandinavian black metal. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Rovi