Impiety - Ravage & Conquer review

Year : 2012
Genre : Black Metal
Label : Agonia Records
Origin : Singapore
Rating : 8.0 / 10

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Impiety is one of the Great Ancients of black metal warfare as far as I know, as the Singaporean ensemble has been around since 1990. Their previous output consisted of one monster length track of 39 minutes, yet this particular fresh installment the current review is about employs the more orthodox method, giving you eight songs for 48 minutes of minigun-intensity.

Indeed, the package slaughters silence down with the assets you see expressing themselves on the cover art. Witness the instruments of relentless destruction waged by Mr. Baphomet, reigning on his throne of infinite punishment and steady pestilence. Judging by the expression on your excuse for a face, you must be one legendarily lonely motherfucker. This is one of the pleasant occasions when the music sounds exactly as you would expect it to sound like based on the cover art of the album. I already was talking about miniguns, and not because I am a weapon lover, - I never in my life have shot a weapon so far, and I do not feel the urge to do so, either - but because of the overall temper of this delivery. Read on to find out more about that.

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Enthroned - Obsidium review

Year : 2012
Genre : Black Metal
Label : Agonia
Origin : Belgium
Rating : 9.2 / 10

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Enthroned has been around since the early '90s, and is considered by the under-connected underground to be among the elite representatives of the black metal genre. This usually means that you hardly will read frequent interviews with these artists, and their live performances are much more ceremonious and memorable than those of a black metal ensemble for which sacrificing a retirement home community on stage is pretty much Friday night.

My initial stance towards Enthroned was open minded skepticism spiced up with a tame troll attitude, as I was very eager to be subjected to the so called "elite" black metal, and was ready to whine like a little bathroom bitch if I'd had felt that I got anything less than that. Oh boy, Enthroned kicked my ass to hell without a return ticket, so I write this review from under the robust ass of a bile demon. Read on to find out more about this exquisite black metal delicacy.


Obsidium simply is 39 minutes of equally super-straightforward and super-exigent black metal. The flow of things is rabid, the band shows no interest in tamer passages than rigorous mid-tempo, while the most favored rhetorics is reliant of relentless blast beats that border in character on death metal, but the sonic mass that surrounds the drums always conveys good old fashioned soul-eradicator black metal warface, that which always shows mercy at the very last moment, pointing out the evident, that it is "just" for fun.

I dare say that this disc is a pretty consistent flow of hooks, as it is clearly revealed if you care to focus your attention on the data. Quality riffage trades the door knob to another riff of different character, well before the respective expiration date of any one of these luscious sonic constructs. The mood, as hinted, is classic skeletal/lich black metal, but it is done so honestly and beautifully AND with such ripe of a style and set of skills, that frankly, I think it is more peaceful and relaxing than anything else.

What I enjoy particularly about the release is its ability to come forth with an exceptionally natural flow of elegant structuring. If you listen to the instrumental variation in the song "Deathmoor" starting from 1:37 to the climax, for example, I think you will grasp what I mean when I say Enthroned places especially keen emphasis on taking you, the listener, seriously. You are never harassed with second tier data, and the flamboyancy that the top of the heat black metal thoughts are coming to you, are communicated and presented very flexibly and so supremely clearly. The band looks good whatever they are doing, because they are doing everything with heart, and without a concept of doubt on board. The little intricacies are present throughout, like the "launching comet" solo guitar that sings its one note song of declaration of independence at 0:53 in the track "Oracle of Void." This is the crystal clear music of the blackest dirt, and, as such, it is an immediate recommendation.

Rating : 9.2 / 10

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