Dawn of Infinite Fire

by Asagraum

A cross-continental entity, ASAGRAUM was founded in the autumn of 2015 by vocalist/guitarist Obscura, who was joined by drummer T. Kolsvart, to create pure Satanic black metal with the old-school feeling of the eternal ’90s greats and with dark psychedelic influences. A three-track promo recording was released in early 2017, laying bare Asagraum’s aims and sound. Wasting no time, debut album Potestas Magicum Diaboli was recorded, mixed at the esteemed Necromorbus Studio, and released by KVLT Records in September 2017.

Upon its release, the album reaped widespread acclaim across the world, garnering attention largely because it was the work of two women – a rarity in black metal, both past and especially present – who quickly rendered gender an irrelevant argument, so strong was the towering power of Potestas Magicum Diaboli.

At the end of 2017, T. Kolsvart was replaced and drummer A. took part in the coven. Many live performances commenced with this new lineup, and Asagraum’s black flame burned brighter than ever, as they spread that flame across Europe, Canada, and Latin America, aided in these live performances by Mortifero or Makhashanah and additional guitarist V-Kaos. Soon enough, the band garnered a recording contract with instant fans EDGED CIRCLE PRODUCTIONS – whose owner, Iscariah, played in Immortal during the late ’90s and early 2000s – and anticipation has reached a fever pitch for their imminent sophomore album.

Alas, it has arrived under the ominous (and prescient) title Dawn of Infinite Fire. Quite accurately, Dawn of Infinite Fire sees Asagraum burning with equally intensity in songwriting, execution, and atmosphere, staying true to their original aims whilst pushing their classicist sound further into the present. Granted, that blast-from-the-past classicism is inescapable – this is pure, traditional BLACK METAL above all – but not once across Dawn of Infinite Fire does that hinder their timeless expression.

If anything, this is the sound of Asagraum at their most anthemic and triumphant, marching forward with obsidian austerity, reflecting their prolific presence on the live front: tangibly physical black metal, played with passion and authenticity and not augmented by cheap studio trickery. Brazen that expression might be – not to overstate the fact, but most nowadays black metal hides in the shadows – but Asagraum continue to sound fresh among that modern BM landscape, outstripping the prevailing trends and the pretenders who enable them.

If Potestas Magicum Diaboli walked a delicate-but-bold balance between aggression and atmosphere, both unapologetically modern and authentically ’90s in its sterling black metal, then Dawn of Infinite Fire is the sound of Asagraum perfecting that balance, spellbinding the listener across a deceptively vast nine-song/47-minute journey.

With mixing & mastering once again courtesy of Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio and literally incendiary cover artwork courtesy of Bahrull Marta, the time is nigh for Asagraum’s Dawn of Infinite Fire!

  • "Difficult second album? Pffft Asagraum have conjured up a blackened belter."
    8/10 - avenoctum.com
  • "This is a record that I can't help but love sinking my teeth into. It shows a band who have grown and whose overall approach is based on their sheer skill in delivering potent black metal. Dawn Of Infinite Fire routinely goes above and beyond to impress the listener. It's a record full of swirling riffs and blasting drums. The twisted sonic landscapes they so eagerly paint stand as a tribute to what they have created here. In a crowded black metal scene, Asagraum avoid gimmicks and instead prove that they are here for blood."
    twoguysmetalreviews.com
  • "(...) it’s still not an album for the uninitiated but that is more a disclaimer than an actual flaw. Asagraum have fleshed out and perfected the sound of Potestas Magicum Diaboli and crafted an excellent album that every fan of black metal should hear, as this is one of the most promising bands right now."
    8,9/10 - metalbite.com
  • "Asagraum have succeed in bringing their second wave black metal sound into the present day in such a way that there should be no doubt of how relevant the style still is in 2019. Dawn of Infinite Fire is an impressively-wrought and extremely enjoyable collection of black metal songs, and if you have any love for the style then I suggest you check out this album as a priority."
    wonderboxmetal.com
  • "(...) Dawn of Infinite Fire somehow even manages to sound like a realizing of potential, a massive album of Satanic glory that does everything right and will reignite any black flame to a blazing inferno. A triumph that should propel them to even greater heights – just wait for the full thing to drop and you’ll see. Hail Asagraum."
    blackmetaldaily.wordpress.com
  • "Dawn of Infinite Fire is a demonstration of how the band has understood the essence of black metal and has then melted it into their own, recognizable sound that still is very trve to the genre’s roots. (...) If you are a fan of classic black metal, evocative of the 90’s second wave with a modern approach, this album is definitely for you!"
    8,5/10 - blessedaltarzine.com
  • "Asagraum has portrayed the authenticity of the Nordic black metal style of the 90’s era, ​the sophomore is an excellent follow -up to the debut, Dawn Of Infinite Fire is brought by fresh traits and outstanding songwriting skills."
    8/10 - Grimmgent.com
  • "It's undeniably brutal and intense, but where many contemporary black metal bands are perfectly happy to charmlessly repeat a revered formula, ASAGRAUM side-step every cliché, with melodies that crackle with eccentricity and arrangements that never quite do the obvious. (...) ASAGRAUM really do seem to be the real Luciferian deal."
    8/10 - Blabbermouth
  • "Occasionally you might discover an album that is so cosmically transcendent and so deeply evocative that it changes the way you see music. In these rare and revelatory moments, you’ll experience it as a profound psychic communication that resonates long after the music ends. Many are sure to enter this cryptic realm through the nine-track black metal odyssey that is Dawn Of Infinite Fire."
    4,5/5 - Metal Hammer
Asagraum (A.Morthaemer, Obscura, Mortifero) Origin: Netherlands / Formed in: 2015 / Genre: Black Metal

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