The German bands is like Cradle of Filth if you took all the elements that normally annoy me about Cradle of Filth out of them and replaced them with more thrashing traditional metal sensibilities. The first thing that would happen is the vocal would not be shrieking but carrying a snarl that makes more sense. It would be dark but without the Hot Topic frilly shirt feel. Yes there are still blast beats so sometimes it might be faster than the song calls for but have the sense to slow down and let you get into the song. With seven albums under their belt it is clear these guys know what they are doing, I think this one might just dial all the elements that have worked for them in the past into this package I am reviewing now.
Not sure how serious they are about the Satanism here. The lyrics are the normal metal poppycock with little that lets me know they are actual occultists. If they, were I suspect they might tone down the make up and allow the sonics to do most of the magic for them. Watain are pretty serious and sometimes they get fast like this, but the intention is felt in their music and not so much here. "Hell Demons Rising" is the catchiest song thus far and in comparison, it makes " Letters from the Devil" feel like run of the mil black metal. Some of this is due to the songs less than relenting speed. The guitar playing is much better than expected. The vocals work, but are the weak link, though I cannot really hear the bass to confirm this most of the time.
Dramatic orchestral trappings decorate "Darkness in Flames" . The drummer's need for speed that propels this certainly has a niche, but from what I heard earlier in the album I do not think this kind of blitz plays to their strength as a song writer, yet this seems to be the path they insist upon dragging this album down. This brings to to feeling like I am pushing through this album as an act of endurance. This is a shame as two songs previous this was something I was enjoying. I am fine with the melodrama, at least the extent of it they indulge in. The snarl of the vocals begins to take on a more uniform feel by the time we get to " the Arrival of Baphomet". A minute and a half in we come to a cool riff, but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make.
"Curse of the Wolf Demon" finds them slowing down a little to create a much darker sound. This drummer is good, and I understand the pressure to conform to some of the genre tropes, but less is more. Even at their best here they are far from reinventing the wheel. The chanted refrain formula begins to get stale by the end of the album. The blur of blasting speed sours any chances that "Satanic Mistress" has finding the balance they started this album with. Whoever the character is he is snarling about they can open a portal of hell. The cover of Possessed song "Death Metal" is a safe bet since really really only fans of the band are familiar with and has enough legit metal credit to it. These guys are good at what they do, it's a fun listen and reminds you of black metal's traditional metal roots as they pay plenty of respect to them. I will give this album an 8.5. This album is being released on Atomic Fire Records./
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