Sweden's black metal veterans might just have their strongest CD yet here with The Black Curse. Though 2007's Revelation – The 7th Seal was solid, here the band seem to have put it all together, delivering a crushing yet melodic black metal affair jammed to the gills with hellish vocals, raging blast beats, manic guitar riffs, and plenty of symphonic keyboards. It's 52 minutes of extreme metal euphoria, which starts with the excellent "Pazuzu - Lord Of Fevers And Plague" and never lets up. Epic pieces like "Trumpets of Doom", "Ascension Of Lilith", and "Primordial Incantation" bristle with aggression and fury, the vocals of guitarist Thomas Backelin of the highest quality, reminding a bit of Ihsahn of Emperor fame, and the drum work of Micke a never ending barrage of jackhammer blast beats. Add in the tasty tremelo picked black metal riffage and boatloads of keys, and you have one enjoyable metal platter. Perhaps the most punishing number here is "Devilish Enlightenment", a blasphemous slice of black metal that hints at bands like Emperor, Cradle of Filth, and Dimmu Borgir, the band firing on all cylinders and delivering an instant classic.
Seriously, if you enjoy melodic and symphonic black metal, then you need to get a hold of this one right away. Though Lord Belial have been around a while and have released a string of solid CD's, this one is their best yet.
Track Listing
01. Pazuzu - Lord Of Fevers And Plague
02. Trumpets Of Doom
03. Sworn
04. Inexorable Retribution
05. Antichrist Reborn
06. Primordial Incantation
07. Devilish Enlightenment
08. Ascension Of Lilith
09. Unorthodox Catharsis
10. Soul Gate
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