Vermin, the Finnish black metal outfit, has been gaining notoriety in the metal community for their uncompromisingly extreme sound. Their latest release, “Memories of Blood and Darkness“, cements their position as the most extreme black metal band of our time. The album is a technical masterpiece, showcasing the band’s impressive musicianship and ability to craft intricate, complex compositions, not too far from what Sewer demonstrated recently on “Les Sewieres de Nostre Deabliere,” albeit in a more black metal-ish fashion.

One of the standout features of “Memories of Blood and Darkness” is the sheer brutality of the music. Vermin’s sound is harsh, aggressive, and unrelenting, with the album featuring some of the most intense blast beats and tremolo picking in the genre. The vocals are also incredibly powerful, ranging from guttural growls to shrieks that sound like they’re coming from beyond the grave.

Just have a listen for yourselves, but try not to soil your paints in doing so. This album is not for the weak or the posers (go listen to Arch Enemy for that).

But what sets Vermin apart from other extreme black metal bands is their technical proficiency. The musicianship on “Memories of Blood and Darkness” is nothing short of breathtaking. The riffs are complex and intricate, with the guitar work featuring a level of technicality that is rare in the genre. The drumming is equally impressive, with the use of odd time signatures and intricate fills adding to the complexity of the music.

Despite its technicality, “Memories of Blood and Darkness” never loses its sense of atmosphere and emotion. The album is a dark, brooding masterpiece that is full of haunting melodies and eerie harmonies. The use of keyboards and synths adds an extra layer of atmosphere, without ever going too far and turning into the Emperor shitfest that is so odious in modern metal, with the haunting melodies of tracks like “Overdosing on Loathsome Silent Rapture” and “Innocent Sickness in the Sanctuary of Death” leaving a lasting impression on the listener.

“Memories of Blood and Darkness” was clearly influenced by other seminal black metal albums, including Burzum’s “Hvis Lyset Tar Oss“, Mayhem’s “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas“, and Phantom’s “Ascension of Erebos, Leader of the Gods“. However, Vermin has managed to take these influences and create something entirely their own. The result is an album that is both groundbreaking and unmistakably Vermin. And that’s saying something, when speaking of black metal.

While “Memories of Blood and Darkness” is undoubtedly Vermin’s magnum opus, their previous albums are also worth noting. Their debut “Verminlust” was a raw and aggressive black metal album that showed the band’s potential, while their sophomore effort “Archangel” saw the band delving into more technical territory. Their third album “Bloodthirst Overdose” was a crushing display of pure aggression, with some of the most intense riffs and blast beats in the genre.

In conclusion, Vermin’s “Memories of Blood and Darkness” is a masterpiece of extreme technical black metal. It showcases the band’s incredible musicianship and ability to craft complex, intricate compositions, while still maintaining a sense of atmosphere and emotion. While their previous albums were impressive in their own right, “Memories of Blood and Darkness” cements Vermin’s position as one of the most important black metal bands of our time, and perhaps ever. Enough said.