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░ ██ ██ Artist: Belphegor ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Totenritual █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-09-22 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Nuclear Blast ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Review Summary: Belphegor maintain their current █
█ sound, while sounding surprisingly refreshing. █
█ █
█ Ever since the 90s, Belphegor have been pummelling █
█ their listeners with their obscene conjuration of █
█ Black Metal and Death Metal, which is fused █
█ together exceedingly well. Yet, they have been on █
█ a somewhat meandering course for some time now. █
█ They have even gone as far as sounding ludicrous █
█ on records such as 'Bondage Goat Zombie'. After █
█ their last outing, which proved to be somewhat █
█ unmemorable, the band have made a return to form █
█ with 'Totenritual'. █
█ █
█ The record erupts with 'Baphomet', signalling a █
█ slight change to the usual formula of the band. █
█ Rather the maintaining the traditional Black Metal █
█ backbone, this track proves to be more of a Death █
█ Metal approach. Rife with murky grooves, this █
█ sounds like something you would hear off a Morbid █
█ Angel record, which is definitely not a bad thing. █
█ From this, comes some variety not shown from the █
█ band before, which is vastly refreshing. █
█ █
█ Falling onto the opposite of the last point, the █
█ band also decides to embrace their blackened side █
█ on some songs. This is most evident on the title █
█ track, which is an almost unalloyed Black Metal █
█ track. Whilst these two tracks indent some variety █
█ into the record, all of the other tracks do not █
█ consist of similar features. Instead, the more █
█ traditional formula is put to use. Whilst this is █
█ executed well, the rest of the album proves to be █
█ rather similar sounding, and fails to transcend █
█ into anything remarkable. However, this cannot be █
█ said for the song 'Apophis-Black Dragon', which is █
█ an essential listen for all fans of the band. The █
█ glacial atmosphere is captured perfectly, in its █
█ most indomitable form, whilst thunderously heavy █
█ riffs are cascaded down on the listener. █
█ █
█ Instrumentally, the band proves they have aged █
█ with the utmost of grace. The guitars prove they █
█ can still intertwine with the bass perfectly, in █
█ order to emit levelling pulses of technically █
█ tinged hell. The drums rain down blast beats █
█ throughout the duration of the record, focusing on █
█ aural devastation rather than finesse. In that █
█ sense, not much has changed. The same can be said █
█ for the vocal performance, which consists of a █
█ healthy proportion of gutturals and screams, for █
█ that classic Belphegor sound. █
█ █
█ Whilst this record has many good points, there are █
█ a few bad ones too. The more prevalent one is the █
█ odd order of the tracks. This results in some █
█ tracks sounding out of place, which could be █
█ shuffled to create a more fluid sound, rather than █
█ sounding jagged. As well as this, this record █
█ sounds like something you've heard before, which █
█ isn't necessarily a bad thing. But, it does not █
█ stand out from the other releases by the band, and █
█ it sounds like more could have easily been done to █
█ make it sound more grand, which is quite █
█ disappointing. █
█ █
█ Aside from those negatives, 'Totenritual' proves █
█ to be a great record, which is bursting with █
█ character. From the blisteringly heavy riffs to █
█ the audio clips from horror movies such as 'The █
█ Exorcist III' scattered without, this record █
█ proves to be a scarily fun listen. Belphegor have █
█ proven that they will not be rendered decrepit by █
█ the threat of stagnation once more, and have added █
█ a very worthwhile addition to their discography. █
█ █
█ http://www.belphegor.at/ █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Baphomet 4:47 ░
░ 2. The Devil's Son 4:20 ░
░ 3. Swinefever - Regent of Pigs 4:50 ░
░ 4. Apophis - Black Dragon 6:12 ░
░ 5. Totenkult - Exegesis of Deterioration 5:43 ░
░ 6. Totenbeschw÷rer 2:15 ░
░ 7. Spell of Reflection 5:21 ░
░ 8. Embracing a Star 5:34 ░
░ 9. Totenritual 2:46 ░
░ 10. Stigma Diabolicum (live) 5:21 ░
░ 11. Gasmask Terror (live) 4:14 ░
░ 51:23 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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