Less than a year after releasing "Revelations of the Black Flame" (an album many fans were not satisfied with), 1349 are back with their 5th, "Demonoir". Those who preferred the direction of 2005’s critically acclaimed "Hellfire" album can rejoice in the fact that the band is back to the aggression they are known for while still incorporating ideas from "Black Flame". "Demonoir" was also recorded at Studio Nyhagen, deep in the woods in Norway with Tom G. Warrior (Triptykon, ex-Celtic Frost, Hellhammer).

Frost rips apart the skins on ‘Atomic Chapel’ and once again takes the listener to Hell and back with his God like drumming he achieved on "Hellfire". Archaon shows he still knows how to create the vintage 1349 riffs we know them for while still maintaining some originality. You can see Hell in all it's fiery glory on the track, ‘When I was Flesh’, which will certainly become a crowd favorite live as it's brutal nature is similar to that of ‘I Am Abomination’ off "Hellfire".

Taking us back to their first album "Liberation", ‘Psalm 7:77’ has the old school 1349 arrangement with lyrics completely in the bands native Norwegian tongue with Ravn's sinister vocals and rasps done really well, and at first I almost thought was in English. And for a surprise, Ronnie leTekrö from the band TNT, of all people, provides the solo (1349…and a guitar solo??).

Highlights of the album are the ‘Pandemonium War Bells’ and 'The Devils of the Desert’ which again return to the glory of "Hellfire". On the intro to 'Pandemonium’ Frost once again delivers with massive inhuman like blast beats and Archaon's riffs along with Ravn's terrorizing vocals could conjure Satan himself. On ‘Devil Of The Desert’, the main riff almost sounds similar to fellow Norwegian black metallers Keep of Kallesin’s work, but mixed with other riffing maintains the 1349 sound through the rest of the track. The melodic tremolo picking done at the end of ‘Devil Of The Desert’ was very pleasing to hear.

The ambient ‘Tunnel of Set’ tracks (there are 6, and are every other song) are short mood setting interludes and just that, and as well put together as they are, still, I will only give the album an 8. Personally, would have been nice to have a few more brutal tracks. Tile track, ‘Demonoir’, is rather odd for 1349 in its slow almost black n' rollish delivery and took some getting use to, but after a few listens is not bad.

Overall a stellar album and is the yang to the ying to "Revelations Of The Black Flame", similar to how Opeth have "Deliverance" and then "Damnation". With so many big Black Metal releases this year to compete with, 1349 definitely have redeemed themselves.