Metal Maniac

 

I remember I first heard Belphegor about fifteen years ago when I heard Blutsabbath, two years after its release. Since then, I’ve been following the band, attended gigs, bought their releases… it’s a band I really enjoy listening to when I want something more extreme, but not that raw, if you know what I mean. If you haven’t paid much attention to them, I recommend you to start with Pestapokalypse VI, in my humble opinion Belphegor’s best album. Well, here we are, in 2014, and Belphegor released a new album named Conjuring the Dead.

 

 

What can I say about it? This is a great album, one of Belphegor’s finest releases in the recent years. Conjuring the Dead presents us with an outstanding blend of Death and Black Metal, dense apocalyptical atmosphere, diversity, brutally and grimness. The album sounds evil as Belphegor wants to, a true inspired work by darkness.

 

 

Produced by Erik Rutan and having as guest musicians (on vocals) the legends Attila Csihar and Glen Benton, Conjuring the Dead has songs that presents the Belphegor signature sound, brutal and perverse, that sexual deviance feeling, but also different takes, even with atmospheric passages. What’s more to talk about Conjuring the Dead? There’s the very competent drumming, excellent riffs, the well-known vocals by Helmuth, fast guitar playing, tremolo picking, all well-balanced and effective. This surely describe one hell of a release and we should praise it even more because all of what I described was created and played by two musicians only.

 

 

The negative aspect of Conjuring the Dead is that, unfortunately, the album is very short, about thirty six minutes and I believe we all expect to “have more music” when it comes to a full-length album. I know that it’s better to release a half hour album with great music than an one hour one that is mediocre, that is true, but we all want to listen more when we enjoy the album, obviously.

 

 

I conclude this review or, I’ll repeat myself, thoughts about the release, stating that if you want to listen to something blasphemous, chaotic, furious and perverted, you must, or better, you should, check Conjuring the Dead. In my modest view an exceptional and impressive release. And, like always, I kindly ask you to support the band that you enjoy its music the way you are able to, what’s possible for you to do. If you like Conjuring the Dead and are buy to purchase it, please, do it so!

 

 

See you later.

 

Grade: 9,5/10

 

Band: Belphegor

 

Album: Conjuring the Dead (2014)

 

Label: Nuclear Blast

 

Tracklist:

 

1. Gasmask Terror

2. Conjuring the Dead

3. In Death

4. Rex Tremendae Majestatis

5. Black Winged Torment

6. The Eyes

7. Legions of Destruction

8. Flesh, Bones and Blood

9. Lucifer, Take Her!

10. Pactum in Aeternum

 

Belphegor is:

 

Helmuth – Vocals, Guitars

Serpenth – Bass, Vocals (backing)

 

As guest musicians: Glen Benton (vocals), Attila Csihar (vocals), Marthyn (drums)

 

Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/belphegor

Official Homepage: http://www.belphegor.at/

 

All photos belong to their rightful owners.

August 21, 2014