When a release such as this comes along, every once in a blue moon, it’s difficult to ward off the pangs of envy. This reviewer is all too aware as a musician and absolute, devoted victim of black and pagan metal of how nebulous and evasive the composition process can be. A sense of what came before balances on the tip of a sword with aversion of duplicating, even as homage, the patterns laid down by the forefathers. Kampfar not only solved this problem on Kvass, they fucking NAILED it.

Darkthrone meets Enslaved in Kampfar, but the resemblance only skims the surface of this absolute sublimity. The band’s forging of melodic, mournful pagan anthem with shrieking black metal violence is well-covered territory. Indeed, it is a line that extends around numerous city blocks. However, what sets Kampfar apart from their peers is the flawless execution of principle: the songs gallop through hostile valleys, screaming with assertion and confidence, while maintaining a degree of classical influence that brands enduring melodic themes into the ears.

The individual can judge transcendence for his of herself, however. I simply herald what this work accomplished after repeated attempts to identify any flaws in its armor. There are none.

The production on Kvass is upfront and meaty, placing every instrument at congruent points in the mix. But most importantly, the songs are contagious as hell. Have you ever caught yourself tapping your foot while headbanging? Or whistled a melody to yourself when its sound source was miles away from you at the time? It’s not something that the true fan of our beloved metal should lament.

Kvass is truly a classic of the canon, one that is list-worthy, principled, full of awareness, and miles above reproach. HIGHEST HAILS! (9.5/10)