BELPHEGOR
GOATREICH - FLESHCULT
[NAPALM]

The old death/black metal crossover has been a popular approach of late, and Belphegor’s new slab of sickness provides ample reason why. This is a killer record overflowing with evil riffs, anchored by a massive sound and pushing all the right buttons - there’s a dose of ferocious speed, stacks of expertly-nailed references (hail Slayer, Nile and Morbid Angel!) and quite possibly the most exquisitely evil production to appear so far in 2005.

‘Sepulture Of Hypocrisy’ is pure 1995-vintage Trey Azagthoth, while the excellently-titled ‘Anus Dei’ comes straight off the shelf marked Behemoth. The high point is ‘The Crown Massacre’ the sound of Hanneman and King if they’d joined Vader. It’s this array of equally gripping approaches that could make ‘Goatreich - Fleshcult’ the album that finally elevates Belphegor to the frontline of European extremity. Enthralling, in a sick way.

8/10 Metal Hammer England / Joel Mciver