Thursday, October 9, 2008

Belphegor - Pestapokalypse VI

Belphegor - Pestapokalypse VI
Belphegor
Pestapokalypse VI
Nuclear Blast Records Records
8.5/10
Official Website



For their first offering to the Nuclear Blast imprint, Austrians Belphegor have delivered a scorcher in their sixth full-length effort, the appropriately-titled Pestapokalypse VI. Albums by Belphegor are always well-received by fans of Blackened Death Metal and there's little doubt as to why. Over the course of fourteen years, this outfit has been building itself into one of the most vicious groups in extreme metal, emphasizing a bold Anti-Christian stance and combining the feel of brutal Death Metal with the aesthetics of Black Metal in a manner that’s often very much similar to the direction that Behemoth has taken with their sound - a deadly hybrid of Death and Black Metal.


Goatreich: Fleshcult, the band's previous effort, was very well received and at that time it was apparent that Belphegor had solidified its position amongst the most powerful of their kind. Pestapokalypse VI furthers this notion, with the benchmark evil of "Seyn Todt In Schwartz" and the dirging "Angel Of Retribution," featuring a riff with a slowed-down Morbid Angel feel that’s well-complimented by the trademark, sneering growling of Helmuth. The band employs a session bassist for this album, Robin Eaglestone (who fans know from his tenure in Cradle Of Filth and current status in Grimfist), following the recent departure of former 4 string annihilator Barth. Eaglestone adds a lot of weight to tracks such as the mighty-sounding "Chants For The Devil," where the riffing of Helmuth takes on a darkly regal feel.


Although this album is not necessarily a large progression from Goatreich: Fleshcult, it further serves to underline the strengths of Belphegor, delivering chaotic yet intensely musical songwriting while balancing that expert sound creation with a deep sense of brutality. "Pest Teufel Apokalypse" is potently bludgeoning, attacking the senses right from the start, then finishing the deed with a stream-of-consciousness onslaught of crippling blasts and frenzied fretwork.


In no way is “Pestapokalypse VI” disappointing. Instead, Belphegor has delivered exactly what fans expected from this release. Hails are in order.

No comments: