Once you move past the off-the-wall CD cover (jeez guys, how bizarre can you get?), the latest from Austria's Belphegor reveals itself to be a punishing yet highly epic sounding statement of sizzling blackened death metal. Bondage Goat Zombie represents more of the trademark Belphegor sound we have all come to love, but there's a greater sense of maturity here, and to my ears the black metal element really takes over on this one, with an added melodic flair that we've yet to hear from this band previously.
The opening title track is just a crushing number, complete with jackhammer blast beats from session drummer Toturer, manic guitar riffs, and the searing growls & screams from mainman Helmuth. That epic sound I spoke about takes over on the melodic ripper "Stigma Diabolicum", but the band rampages forth with savage intensity on the breathtaking "Armageddon's Raid ", blast beats and Dark Funeral styled riffing laying waste to the musical landscape, occasionally disrupted by some slower doom riffs that really add to the atmosphere of this scorcher. "Justine: Soaked in Blood" is one of the more death metal styled pieces here, Helmuth's blood soaked growls setting the pace over thunderous riffs, while "Sex Dictator Lucifer" ( I can't make these song titles up!) plows along at a grueling pace, led by Helmuth's mix of gravelly black metal shrieks and lower register growls. It's back to relentless black metal on "Shred for Sathan" (with those symphonic Dark Funeral-ish tremelo picked riffs appearing again), before the band launches into the highlight of the album, "Chronicles of Crime". This gem has an almost Nile feel to it as far as the Middle Eastern tinged riffs and complex arrangements. If you like epic sounding extreme metal, start right here on this killer cut. Both Toturer and bassist Serpenth fire off volleys of inhuman blasts, and Helmuth's raging riffs slice like a meat cleaver, leaving the listener absolutely breathless. After the somewhat gothic/death throwaway number "Sukkubus Lustrate", the band closes out the album with the atmospheric black metal piece "Der Rutenmarsch", a real dramatic number that ends the CD on a high note.
Belphegor are now over a decade into their existence, with a slew of strong extreme metal releases under their belt, but Bondage Goat Zombie might just be their magum opus. So grab a bowl of this Satanic stew and be prepared to slip into the darkness of hell.
Track Listing
1. Bondage Goat Zombie
2. Stigma Diabolicum
3. Armageddon's Raid
4. Justine: Soaked in Blood
5. Sexdictator Lucifer
6. Shred for Sathan
7. Chronicles of Crime
8. Sukkubus Lustrate
9. Der Rutenmarsch
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