Belphegor – Blood Magick Necromance

“Friday, 05  November 2010 BELPHEGOR – REVEAL COVER ARTWORK”… I was relaxing on the network when I saw this bulletin… Great news I thought, lets have a look, and then I browsed the band’s site, to check out the info and artwork of the new album. Half a minute later…. happiness faded away in one second. That was a huge disappointment not only because of the artwork but also bacause i have to admit that their previous release “Walpurgis Rites – Hexenwahn” was way down bellow the standards of the band’s music… “Friday, 14. January 2011 BELPHEGOR “BLOOD MAGICK NECROMANCE” NEW ALBUM OUT …” First impression.. Never ever judge a book by its cover! But lets take a closer look.

The album is consisted of 8 tracks of supreme blackened death metal manifesto with strong structure but don’t be fooled thinking that band has evolved in any way – it hasn’t, so if you’ve heard any album they’ve released in the past ten years, you’ll know exactly what to expect.

However, this time Belphegor return with their last opus to deliver us a great effort in contrast with the previous album “Walpurgis Rites – Hexenwahn”. The album opens with the song “In Blood – Devour This Sanctity”. Catchy riffs, insane drumming, lust, praising the name of lucifer and here we go…belphegor is back for sure with this one, great beginning and this is what i needed to transpass my worrying thoughts for the new record. Next in line is the crawling song “Rise To Fall And Fall To Rise” with a more slower tempo than the first one and with Helmuth in great form. For second track in a row in vocals orgasm of epic/atmospheric tunes which are slithering, get ready to embrace a “ tearing your heart” feeling in this one..3rd track:Blood Magick Necromance the homonymous song of the album.Such a well played song and a clever one.For 18seconds is preparing the listener for what is to come and after that is starting to unleash its venom through the stereo with its razor sharp riffing.The combination of its riffs/tunes is excellent and the whole atmosphere in this one is rewarding once again.In the next track we have a lot of varations, the band’s performing a balanced tightrope between insane speed, melody, black and death metal.The fourth track that takes the baton is entitiled ”Discipline Through Punishment “.

Lyrically, lust and perversion at its best form i’d say,  as for the musically part we witness for once more a slow tempo song with a killer solo (that it could stuck in you mind) on 3&03, a classic one for the standards of the horde from austria but except the solo guitar i dont think that this one could be the big hit of the record…After that relaxing melodic short brake, it was about time to receive some sirious fast shit…”Angeli Mortis De Profundis “ is the track that is baptized under the number 5.In this one, we are talking about fast blackened death metal straight from the pits of hell.A trademark of Belphegors music and a proof that if they want to play loud and fast they are inhuman…Just great, probably this one is gonna remind you “Lucifer Incestus,Walpurgis Rites,Bodage Goat Zombie” cause of its musical structure. Just Pure hellish pounding.. As we reach to the track number 6(66) here i have to share my point of view in the next song .

“Impaled Upon The Tongue Of Sathan” was the first song that came out as a single and I have to admit that it was very disappointing. Come on we are talking about Belphegor the father of “Lucifer Incestus” not a band who needs to produce groovy death metal with riffs inspired from Dimmu Borgir…(1&01) As the last riffs passes away (and the relief is becoming bigger…) the “Possessed Burning Eyes” song is present to cheer me up from the previous one.For once more here we have the extraordinary variety of the austrian death metallers.Intence drumming that is fading out in melody and riffs that are here to to fill me again with satisfaction.. As the song is fading out “Sado Messiah” is waiting to make its attack to my stereo, we are talking for a song with no compromises and clearly in the veins of the good old stuff. Brutal song with insane fast rhythm and with such a catchy riffs that ends up perfectly the whole album. This song could remind you a lot of memorable songs from their previous releases such as “Lucifer Incestus,Swarm Of Rats,Walpurgis Rites,Bondage Goat Zombie”. The classic formula of  maximum 4min song that have  inhuman tempo and blasphemous tunes, a glorious  typical blast-beat fuelled black & death hybrid.

It’s always good to see a band to reclaim again its throne after a bad release (Walpurgis Rites – Hexenwahn) cause usually one bad album is just a prelude to a dying career. Belphegor this time proved that some times you just need to stick with what you’re good at – The Austrian horde have done just that and proved that they are still here and kicking some serious asses with their last effort.