Metal Temple (gr)
My first encounter to the band from Austria was in the latest ROTTING CHRIST concert in Chicago. BELPHEGOR was one of the bands that opened for the Greek blacksters and if you read my report then you will probably know that I was at least impressed. Indeed, BELPHEGOR performed really solid and aggressive the blasphemous songs spreading waves of enthusiasms to the American audience. As you can imagine as soon as the new BELPHEGOR album arrived at the METAL TEMPLE headquarters I made the proper sacrifices to our editor from hell (a.k.a Greg) to get the blasphemous privilege of reviewing it. The amount of blood was enough and below you can read my hellish words about this new abomination from the Austrian band.

If you are a regular METAL TEMPLE reader, then you have already watched the band’s video for the album’s opening and homonymous track. "Bondage Goat Zombie" is fast and evil with the trademark shredding guitar riffs and the extreme screams and vocals by Helmuth. The song is a real sonic blast, with ultra fast drumming that take it to the Black Metal territory. The solid as hell rhythm section in "Stigma Dabolicum" will make your neck break while the evil vocals take the track to a next upper level. The guitar work here is impressive with both catchy and melodic riffs that add some additional points towards music diversity. Some clean guitar sounds open for "Armageddon’s Raid" where you will also find Black Metal blast beats and SLAYER-ish leads. I can assure you that this album is the best one in BELPHEGOR’s back catalogue and will definitely establish their name in the decaying Black Metal scene. The band chooses to slow down in the excellent "Sexdictator Lucifer" that comprises an extra heavy rhythm groove that will torment your ears with the multi language lyrics.

Back to blast beats and the fast riffs in "Shred For Sathan" (excellent title) and "Chronicles Of Crime" that features some fitting Eastern based guitar shredding melodies. For the second time BELPHEGOR step on the break in "The Sukkubus Lustrate" and prove that can perform with same high quality in mid tempos; the vocals here balance between clean and aggressive building an impenetrable sonic wall. This song leads us without pause to the album closer "Der Rutenmarsch" that is a sadistically slow and guitar driven track. Here the black atmosphere becomes almost alive through some female vocals near the end that turn into screams of pain and unholy lust.

Without being an expert of the Black Metal scene I underline my above sayings that this release will make some heads turn and some necks snap. BELPHEGOR in their best shape produced an excellent album that will make everyone in Hell more than "happy"

4.5/5 by Dimitris K. Metal-temple.com Greece