The vocals of former Necrophagia singer Killjoy DeSade help to set this album apart as they are pretty nasty . what I love about this is the fact these guys are evil sounding yet in the first song I have not heard a blast beat. Truth be told they hover around a more Celtic Frost like sound and the vicious vocals keep it from really copping too much from Tom Warrior and friends. This is not to say they are a color by numbers replication. Instead the add layers of dark melody by way the guitars. The pace picks up into a bigger death metal sound on "93". At this point it bears stating that this album is paying homage to Crowley and references varied aspects of his thelemic works. The more straight forward second song is not as nuanced and to me doesn't come across as dark as the first song despite the moodier break past the mid way point.
The third song where they continue to chant the motto of "Love is the Law / Love Under Will" a fine statement to espouse, yet one of the more mainstream tenements that hardly requires much depth in the belief system to be aware of. This song however finds them closer to the kind of powerful writing that hooked me with their first song. "Babalon" breaks the five minute mark with it's mid tempo stomp, but like most of these songs is not an aimless wander hoping to break you down with it's drone. This song has the undulating pulse similar to Inquisition that makes it feel more black metal. They pick up things to a much more driving pace on "Disciples of the Silent" lyrically it is not as heavy handed in it's theme, to the point of straying from the more conceptual elements. Well played and punchy the bass tone is great , but it doesn't do as much to set them aside.
There is more of a groove to the onset of "Chemical Perversions" that gives my to something a little less inspired and at more of a death metal/ thrash pace. This song also has the first guitar solo that really makes it self known. The vocal become even more bestial on "Blackest Chasm" which has an oppressive lumber. It doesn't feel like this one is as tightly constructed as previous songs and the album begins to lose a little momentum. They come back stronger for "Beyond the Grace of God" this might be the album's strongest song after the opening and finds the band back in a more dense Inquisition like sound. Overall despite losing some of it's momentum in the latter portion of the album it's pretty strong so I'll give it an 8.5.
Hells Headbangers is releasing this beast February 17th.
No comments:
Post a Comment