Review by Jeger
Arckanum – Beswærilsin
Record Label: Darkness Shall Rise Productions
Year: 2026
Rating: 10/10
For some Artists, the music comes second… And that is not because the Artist lacks dedication. It is this way because the music is the product of what must be nurtured, conditioned and explored. If the Artist’s spiritual condition begins to take a backseat in service to the art itself, then stagnation is imminent. For Occult Practitioners/Artists such as VP Adept (Αχέροντας), Michayah Belfagor (Ofermod), Semjaza (Thy Darkened Shade), Yiannis Ktls (Serpent Noir) and Shamaatae (Arckanum), expression is the product of esoteric studies and deep involvement in Death Cults/Magickal Orders such as Temple of the Black Light and Dragon Rouge. For the latter of the above-mentioned Artists, Shamaatae, Black Metal took a backseat in 2018 so that he could focus solely on his studies, practices and development. Arckanum was birthed in Mora, Dalarna, Sweden in 1992; making the project a veritable institution of the blackened arts and Shamaatae a real champion of the Left Hand Path.
Arckanum
On October 31, upon the eve of Hallows myst, Arckanum will unveil its new LP, “Beswærilsin” via Darkness Shall Rise Productions. The album’s lyrics were formed using Olde Swedish (Fornsvenska) and the sound quality is not what I would call harsh, but stripped-down just enough so as to cast every second of runtime in a proper BM luminance. Occult Black Metal albums are notoriously flamboyant, intricate and oft convoluted; filled with drama and suspense. There’s an element of that here, but also a fundamental understanding of the importance of writing music with real substance: concrete riffs, martial rhythms and melody/harmony. “Beswærilsin” is a complete offering in this sense. Galloping along at a feverish pace during the opening track, “Mz Fianda Raþi” – perpetual motion – slipping into a ritualistic state during the track’s final moments as hypnotic vocalizations whisper just above tranquil passages. And when these hit, how sweet it is… The following cut, “Utgarþzeþer” – surging riffs, pulsating blasts and a spiritual awakening-level of enthrallment induced by melody alone. And then what feels like Satanic Warmaster – “Fimbulwinter” era vibes: a familiar sense of Black Metal that will assuredly hit home, particularly that spot you keep hidden just under the guise of your smile as Folkish passages unfold with Flutes, Mandolins and Acoustic Guitars; overlain by fiendish vocals that tell of things profound and violent.
For every piece of this record that is dedicated to aesthetic, there are equal parts dedicated to substance. What a feat of balance, of texture. We have slow-burners, mid-tempo’d dirges and every so often a kickstart like the intro to “Wilianz Kniwer” in all of its thrashed-out attitudinal/musical grime: a true Metal song, an anthem that will stir up a sense of gratitude and of excitement for what is left to come out of Arckanum upon this blackest of eves, this early dawning of fate’s daily reckoning as the Crows caw and as dismal Bass Guitar abuse in the foreground creates a most visual and hopeless feeling.
Midway through, the aggression of “Eldstenz Frø” becomes the new reality… In the throes of it now, as cymbal crashes fire off like gunshots, the most electrifying riffs propel and Wolves begin to howl off in the cold Sverige expanse before the pace drops to introspective levels. Weighing fate against destiny now, ritual against meditation… There’s so much to it. It takes a Journalist years to be able to reach the point of being able to effectively review an album of this magnitude. Its spiritual implications are as profound as its musical influence. To be afforded this sort of audience with the Occult realm is to be valued, thus reinforcing the truth that Black Metal, namely Occult Black Metal, is the most precious dark art.
You’ll discover tracks like ”Anskoti” for instance, that deliver heavy grooves and rolling rhythms that would appeal to the Novice, while others like “Trulmoþir” demand a real Connoisseur’s attention: tribal beats, suspense-building moments and the feeling that it’s all about to fucking go down at any moment. Diabolical chants send chills up the spine, those rhythms like pre-infarction arrhythmia; entering into your mind the reality of the fact that you’ve just stepped deep into places where you never thought you’d venture on a day like today. You’ve unlocked some sort of Ancient evil or perhaps that step has taken you even further on your Occult path than you had wagered. Was that step your first upon the Left Hand Path? Either way, Arckanum has just rocked your soul with spiritual power and racked your balls with true Sverige Occult-powered Black Metal. One for the books! One for the person you were before you listened to “Beswærilsin” and to the Sage you’re becoming. One step closer is one step further away…