CD: Salvation
Reviewer: Grimlord from Metalwhore.com
Review:
Track Listing:
1. Magnus Dei
2. Breathing Wounds
3. Holy Poison
4. Sun of Hope
5. Perditions Light
6. Across the Qliphoth
7. Realm of Plagues
8. Circle of Eyes
9. Bread to Stone
10. In Manus Tuas
What can I say, this album could possess a razor blade and slice the wrists of any Cradle of Borgir bands wide the fuck open. This album is what pure audio terror is defined as. Very bleak, possessed by the blackest evil, and deadly. This rekording is not for the weak of heart, or anyone looking for good catchy Blackmetal. No, this offering of black blood is pure filth performed for His Word. With that said let's look at the album:
1. Magnus Dei: after a pulsing dark warning/intro the music begins w/ all of the fury that is a trademark of Funeral Mist: punishing violent drums and guitars and very surreal and nightmarish vokills. I think that Arioch is one of the best vokillist in Blackmetal hands down. He has a style that is completely original and will be hard for any mere mortal to match it's intensity. There are a couple of moments when this song hits a break a leaves the listener w/ a feeling of being snapped out of a trance, but then you are sucked right back in.
2. Breathing Wounds: here is where the blood starts to really flow. Stay away from any sharp objects when this one comes on. You could stab yourself or someone near you when the heart of the song hits, simply pure Hell.
3. Holy Poison: after a slow dreary guitar at the beginning, this song leaps onto you and sinks it's fangs into your neck, and not in a vampire Lestat way, but the way a deranged maniac w/ a lycanthrope personality would do it. There is a part in the middle of the song that gives a little foreshadowing of the descent to Hell that is to come, and it's when the evil monks give a small chant. This to me sounds like they are starting to congregate for a ritual.
4. Sun of Hope: this song starts w/ what sounds like an old bible film intro, kinda like something you would hear on Ben Hur. then the terror that is FM begins. I swear that these guys are pure fucking genius. After an uncomfortable ending (kinda instills the Fear into the listener) the bible sounds come back. you can hear people singing, crying, and a savage whip coming down on the back of Jehovah all while a kettle drum sounds off.
5. Perditions Light: What a fucking start for this song. How they obtain that evil force sound just blows my mind. there are a couple of moments when Necromorbius is just pounding away on those drums and the guitars are searing your flesh and then Arioch just belches out a long dreary moan that sounds chilling as fuck.
6. Across the Qliphoth: After a what sounds like a church bell tolling away, the locusts arrive over the horizon. Then they descend onto the church. You can hear Necromorbius hammering down the doors. The sheep are running out and screaming. Arioch is bathing in their blood. The Qliphoth are upon the sheep, they have come to take them to Hell. This song ends on vocal note that sounds like Arioch is gurgling in the blood of the congregation.
7. Realm of Plagues: the monks start this one off. The descent has begun. You can feel the flames licking at your soul. Beasts and unspeakable forms surround you. Some are starting to bite into your flesh. You are falling, covered in shadows and dripping with blood. Something with seven eyes stares into your soul. It speaks to you. you hear fire all around. and, a cat's meow?
8. Circle of Eyes: you slowly get up from your descent. something is approaching in the dark. You can see the monks lined up in their infernal garb, adorning the cliffsides with their faces hid behind shadows. You are cut and bruised and disoriented. Then the monks start to chant. It carries on forever and haunts your bones. Suddenly you are surrounded by beasts, but all you can see is the glow of their eyes from the fires burning in the distance. Terror strikes in your heart, and your veins feel like they are filled w/ ice. A serpent entwines your body, and a demoness laps the blood from your wounds, laughing the whole time. The monks keep chanting.....
9. Bread to Stone: plague has ravished the Earth. Men and women lie with blood coming from their eyeless sockets. All of the water has turned to blood. All of the Earth is black and barren. Take flight towards the heavens.
10. In Manus Tuas: this is where the final battle commences. Angels are crucified and eaten and beasts are vomiting their remains onto the throne of God. Heaven lies stained in bloody dust, and then: you awaken to daylight blinding your eyes. You hear a violin playing shrilly down the hallway, as if it was on an old phonograph....you walk towards the sound and come up to a closed door....you turn the handle and....
Grimlord Rating: 10 (a fucking masterpiece)
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