Released on Northern Heritage in 2002, the Black Katharsis E.P. features nearly twenty minutes of raw Finnish black metal. This offering seems to be somewhat experimental, as the songwriting approach is very consistent and does not seem to possess many similar characteristics with either Strength & Honour or Opferblut. This is not the highpoint of Satanic Warmaster's discography, but it is not without its appeal.

"Remembrance of Times Forgotten" is the highlight of this brief recording. Upon first listen, the mournful tremolo riff and accompanying mid-paced drumming is reminiscent of Burzum, yet the actual guitar melody is of the sort that would go on to make up the bulk of the second Satanic Warmaster effort. It is very haunting and memorable, with a rather introspective and sorrowful quality. The reverb on the vocals adds an obscure quality, with Werwolf's voice reminding one of Ihsahn on Emperor's Wrath of the Tyrant. With such a primitive and stripped-down sound, this track would not have been out of place on some mid-'90s black metal record. "Cursed Emperor" has more of a harsh feeling, owing some inspiration to Moonblood. The somewhat eerie atmosphere present in the first part of the song is eliminated with the more upbeat riffs and drumming that emerge later on. "...Hiljaisuudesta" takes the rawness to its most extreme, for this recording, almost as if it came from a different session. It's rather aggressive and straightforward, with a part that is similar to something from Watain's first album, probably by coincidence.

All in all, Black Katharsis isn't a bad release, though it lacks a sense of unity and does not quite flow together well. Then again, the purpose of releasing these tracks in this format may have been simply to get them out of the way before moving on to write a more cohesive full-length album, which is precisely what Satanic Warmaster went on to do with Opferblut. While some of the ideas presented here are not so impressive, others are quite good and the first track, alone, is worth picking this up. It has since been re-released, so shouldn't be too difficult to find.

The album begins with the song "Black Destiny". This starts off at full speed with fast tremolo riffs and blasting drums. Lord Sarcofagian did well to study the work of Fenriz, as the drumming is very similar and it is mixed at just the right level. The vocals are mixed well, also, not being too high or too low. Werwolf's style, as in Horna, seems to be quite similar to Hat and Pest, of Gorgoroth. The overall sound owes a lot to the early '90s Norwegian black metal scene. In particular, it would seem that these Finns are big Darkthrone fans. That certainly isn't a bad thing, as Darkthrone seemed to give up making that style of music a long time ago. Then again, why would they want to since there are thousands of other bands attempting to emulate them? This song actually features very nice tremolo melodies, memorable riffs and a good structure.

The next song is "Bound in Lust and Hate". This continues with the same fast pace as established on the first song, with very nice melodies, creating a sense of tension as the song builds in intensity. The riffs are very memorable and everything flows nicely. Again, there is nothing very original going on here. If anything, this is more of a tribute to some of the second wave bands. That being said, they do take that foundation and add a little something to it.

On "A Wolf Cries in Anger", the pace slows down a bit and the melodies take an overtly mournful tone. The sound is very similar to Sargeist's Satanic Black Devotion, even the effect on the vocals. While this is raw, it is a little more polished than the Sargeist album. It is also more melodic and not nearly as dark. Everything is executed well, yet there is nothing dangerous about this music. Despite this, it does have some redeeming qualities. The harmonies are very introspective and mournful at times. These will lurk in your mind for some time after listening. Perhaps the thing that Satanic Warmaster adds to the formulaic sound is a certain catchiness that is, somewhat, inherent when it comes to Finnish bands.

"Pentagram & Wood" features some very nice tremolo riffs. It seems strange that so many kids that are new to black metal embrace this band as some evil and obscure cult of darkness. Then again, it is easy to see how they are attracted to it as it is catchy and melodic. Each song has its own identity, which is a good thing. There is somewhat of an epic atmosphere created through the brilliant song arrangements. No, this is nothing you haven't heard before, but it is done pretty well.

"A Raven's Song" erupts from the shadows at full speed. Again, it must be noted that the drumming is very suitable for this style of music, being just high enough to keep time but low enough to not distract from the guitars. The simplistic bass lines can be heard, easily, as on Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. As the tempo changes, the unmistakable Finnish melodies are present, which may be the one thing that really sets this off from other bands that exist to pay tribute to the grim cults of Norway. The guitars really work to create a depressive feeling, though never utterly dismal. This song is among the more memorable ones on the album.

The next song is "Rain Falls", which is an instrumental in the vein of "Når Himmelen Klarner" from Burzum's Det Som Engang Var or even "Gjennom Skogen til Blåfjellene" from Isengard's Vinterskugge. This piece creates a very melancholic feeling and allows your mind to drift away into infinite thought.

"Farewell to the Fallen" begins with a total Celtic Frost vibe. After the first minute or so, this transitions to something more akin to Burzum, once more, before speeding up. This may not be the intention of the band, but the music is actually kind of peaceful and enjoyable to listen to.

As shown with the Pest project, Werwolf is very skilled at emulating those he admires. This shows very well, throughout Opferblut, though Satanic Warmaster fails to sound as dark and evil as the bands that they hail, such as Darkthrone, Mayhem, Burzum and Gorgoroth. Despite that, it is easy to appreciate this album for what it is, especially considering the atmosphere of melancholy that hovers over this. While not being quite as raw as some bands, this doesn't sound slick or over-produced. Anyone with a bad taste in their mouth from Horna's Sudentaival need not worry.

This is recommended for those who aren't looking for anything original. Out of the countless bands that play this same style, Satanic Warmaster proved to be somewhat competent, on this album at least. This is, more or less, the only release of theirs that might be worth picking up. That said, it does not come nearly as close to capturing the dark feeling of the old Norwegian bands as fellow Finnish groups like Sargeist and Clandestine Blaze. This is a band whose popularity has been cultivated through image and marketing, making thousands of pathetic internet kids think that this is the epitome of true black metal. If anything, this should serve as a gateway, imbuing you with the desire to seek out the true originators of this sound.

In late 2003, Werwolf of Satanic Warmaster and Mikko Aspa of Clandestine Blaze came up with the idea to do a split that featured both bands. However, their approach to this was a little unconventional. With both of them being the sole member of their respective bands, they decided to include a few collaborative tracks. So, to go along with the one song, a piece, that each band contributed, they also recorded four as a two-piece. Werwolf handled the guitars and bass, while Mikko takes care of the drumming. They trade off on the vocals, each writing their own lyrics. The results were released through Northern Heritage, in February 2004.

The split begins with "Intro/My Torments", the intro being adequate enough, almost reminiscent of something from the Hellraiser series. After a couple minutes, it fades as Werwolf begins to scream and the guitars follow. He handles the vocals, on this song, though one might guess that Mikko had some input regarding the opening riff. About four minutes in, the song finally starts. The vocals are weak and the drums are mixed too high. It's very fast-paced, in the vein of Transilvanian Hunger. To be honest, though both bands have long used the aforementioned album as a template for their own works, they usually added a bit of their own feeling to the songs. Here, it seems more generic than usual. The production quality is similar to a garage rehearsal, though this isn't always a bad thing. In this case, it drags the music down, a slight bit. All in all, a below average start for the split.

"Sacrificial Fires" starts with some feedback, before going into a slow Celtic Frost-inspired riff. This song was, obviously, written by Mikko as he has a tendency to include similar songs on every single release in Clandestine Blaze's discography. It's not terribly bad, but it's grown a little boring by this point. Some riffs are taken directly from Morbid Tales, only slowed down a bit. I guess this is fitting, since Gabriel had previously stolen the riff from Venom. So far, this split is hardly worth the effort of taking the CD out of its case.

The next song, "Conspiring Winds of the Abyss", starts out with more feedback. This is already annoying. Thankfully, it's one of the better songs on here. Werwolf is back on vocals, as the song is yet another tribute to Transilvanian Hunger. It consists of cold tremolo riffs and fast drumming. The vocals are a far cry from the masterful work of Nocturno Culto, but that's no surprise. The main riff is one of the best on the split. It's completely derivative of Darkthrone, but at least it's done competently enough. The pace slows down, near the middle, giving a nice eerie feeling. This doesn't last too long, though it produces a nice trance-like riff that is reminiscent of early Mütiilation.

"Disease" is another song with Mikko on vocals, beginning with even more feedback. He really lets loose on this song, with some shrieking mixing in with his usual vocals. Musically, it's another fast-pace, tremolo-driven song in the early Norwegian mould. There's a little variation in the drumming, but this is overshadowed by the fact that Mikko seems to really be struggling to keep up on this track. There is a cool lead solo, late in the song, that kind of salvages things from being excessively boring. It's not too bad, but I expected a little more from both of these guys.

This is followed by a Clandestine Blaze song, "Guided By the Black Light". Here, Mikko returns to the deeper style of vocals that he is known for, while the guitar playing is a little heavier. The slow parts of the song possess an eerie feeling, yielding some haunting melodies. The faster parts are quite awful, really, being poorly executed. It's sad, but I've rehearsed with worthless garage bands that played tighter than this. The worst part is that it's a result of pure laziness, as anyone familiar with Clandestine Blaze knows that Mikko is capable of much better. It is clear that hardly any effort was put into this.

"To the Legions" is a Satanic Warmaster song. The opening is not very good, as the attempt to match the tortured screams of Count Grishnackh come off as laughable. Once beyond this, the rest of the song is actually fairly decent. It features a rather catchy take on the typical Celtic Frost-type rif. The vocals are a bit strained, but far better than the weak screams that opened the track. A few minutes in, the song picks up speed and returns to the Darkthrone worship that preceded this. Despite this, there are also more riffs in the Finnish style that one would expect from the same guy that recorded Opferblut. A lead melody flows through, temporarily, to add some epic sense to the proceedings. Mikko should have played drums on this one as well, since the timing is off at one point. Outside of the first minute, this is probably the most enjoyable song on the album, after "Conspiring Winds of the Abyss". The outro is completely necessary, but it's pleasant enough. It has kind of a somber feeling, which goes nicely with the disappointment that the listeners are surely experiencing.

This split is little more than a Finnish black metal tribute to Darkthrone. There are a couple decent songs and a few nice riffs to be found, but it's hardly something that is worth any great amount of effort to track down. I have to say that both of these guys are capable of better, though I get the impression that this release was meant to have that rehearsal/jam feeling. If that is true, they certainly achieved this. The raw production is is fine, but the sloppy playing is unacceptable. Though both bands rely heavily on their influences, they've also managed to incorporate their own style into the mix, moreso in the case of Clandestine Blaze than with Satanic Warmaster. Either way, here, this element seems to be lacking for the most part.