Blitz reviews 23: ADVERSO, ALLEGIANCE, DEVATHORN / INFERNO, PERMAFROST, INVOCATION

21rd part of short reviews.

ADVERSO – Ex Inanis
Year of release: 2018
Label: Purodium Rekords
Rating: 6,9 / 10

Atmospheric and raw metal from Portugal. Despite the obvious claims on Black Metal, its genre affiliation seems doubtful to me - in the promotional version there is no information about the project, and the sound, black-and-white photos and song titles in Latin do not make you Black Metal yet. Anyway, the music is good. Conventionally, it can be divided into two parts. The first is a long runs in the vein of modern atmospheric metal, with leading blast beats and hypnotic riffs. The second - not less long, but slow, sketches of a much more gloomy character. All this is done fairly standardly, but convincingly, especially by Portuguese standards. 80 copies on cassettes is probably not enough for this records, it deserves more.

ALLEGIANCE – Beyond the Black Wave
Year of release: 2018
Label: self-release
Rating: 7 / 10

The French ALLEGIANCE are complete fans of EMPEROR, which is absolutely no secret. They even call themselves “Emperial Black Metal”, although they don't really belong to Black Metal. From the very first seconds it is absolutely clear what to expect from their debut album. “Beyond the Black Wave” is the “Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk” and “IX Equilibrium” worship of highest quality containing some insane set of references to these albums. Even the sound is similar - dry and sharp. There is not as much from "... eclipse" and "Prometheus ...". I’m not a fan of EMPEROR at all, so I’m making a low-profile assessment, but I’d recommend this to the legendary Norwegians' fans - you might love this album.

 

DEVATHORN / INFERNO – Zos Vel Thagirion
Year of release: 2018
Label: World Terror Committee
Rating: 8,4 / 10

Fresh split from two serious occult formations. DEVATHORN is a Greek project with ACHERONTAS musicians involved, so you should already have a general idea. Violent and sincere approach sometimes sounds similar to BEHEMOTH, but less pop-oriented. The music is very dynamic, ardent, malicious, and in addition is masterly performed. Before learning the lyrics, as usual, it would not hurt to study a couple of useful books.
INFERNO is well known in our latitudes. On the split, the Czechs represent a very gloomy and claustrophobic Black Metal that sounds as if it coming from the darkness. I didn’t normally listened to INFERNO since “Black Devotion”, so now I’ll notice how their music has changed. Remaining loyal to the authentic Black Metal, the Czechs, apparently, had long since turned off their well-trodden roads, choosing their winding path to eternity. The result, I must say, is incredibly fascinating. Excellent split.

PERMAFROST – I challenge the Light of God
Year of release: 2018
Label: Darker Than Black Records
Rating: 7 / 10

Cheerful and groovy German Black Metal with a pronounced national melody (not folk or something, I mean this melodic German style). I was tired of this style after listening to the couple of albums 6 or 7 years ago. but I can’t but admit that PERMAFROST are doing their job sincerely, ideologically and with a twinkle. Members of BLUTRACHE are in the line-up.

INVOCATION – The Mastery of the Unseen
Year of release: 2018
Label: Iron Bonehead Productions
Rating: 6,8 / 10

Chilean occult evil from the other world. I am convinced that the gates to Hell opened in Chile, from where, year after year, such releases are unleash into this world. As always, everything here is harsh, killing and proper, albeit a bit faceless.Unfortunately, 10 minutes does not allow us to say for sure whether something more powerful from this group will turn out than it is now, therefore I keep a neutral attitude.