Review by Alex on May 1, 2018.

I'm sure at some point in our lives we have been warned about provoking the elderly man or woman next door due to rumors of him/her being a witch or something vile in nature. However, because we are young, dumb, inquisitive, and extremely eager to discover the next best thing as our hormones spiral out of control we ignore all warnings and foolishly venture forth with our mischievous deed. Then, one late evening while our parents are away, we hear a knock on our door. We rush downstairs with much joy to answer, only to discover with horror radiating from our eyes: it's not the pizza delivery we all expected. Need I say more?

Void Meditation Cult's Utter the Tongue of the Dead possesses that odious presence, which enthralls and engages the listener. This is one of the most demonic albums I have ever heard. The artwork is simplistic, but it drives across the point of what is to be expected. Utter The Tongue of the Dead is catchy, groovy, gloomy and mysterious. Void Meditation Cult paces the music on the album conscientiously and gracefully. Nothing on here sounds rushed or hastily implemented just for the sake of doing so. No, this is 35-minutes of baleful, doomy, lo-fi black metal. The vocals sound like a prowling animal calculating, pondering and predatorily planning the attack on its next prey. The vocalist sounds similar to when I first attempted death metal growls after hearing them. For me, it came out as a tiresome painful grunt which I got better doing after much practice. The difference here is that the vocalist is able to maintain a deep gurgling grunt throughout the album. There are also segments in which the vocalist (under the pseudonym of "Desolate Defiler") uses extremely low-pitched gasping whisper-like chants. The vocals invoke an atmosphere of utter dread, and the lyrics are no exception on this malevolent beast of a release. The lyrics are definitely some of the most intelligent and cryptic lines of blasphemy I have ever read on an album. Only a handful of bands have ever challenged me lyrically in terms of meaning and structure; bands like Impetuous Ritual and Inquisition fall along that line. The demonic lyrics on Utter the Tongue of The Dead are beautifully crafted, hence I may quote one of my favorite excerpts taken from 'Alms for the Eyeless Idol';

"O', glorious emissary of the devil 
Beneath your dreadful wings
No seed of Christ shall thrive
Before your rancid sight
The flock shall wither as rotting meat"

The drumming and guitars are done exceptionally well. They both aid each other in magnifying the demonic atmosphere being fostered. The guitars are very audible, while the drums are very lo-fi in the mix. I hail this approach taken to have the guitars guide the listener as the drums conjure a ritualistic state of being. The synths and keyboards utilized are a welcome addition to the atmosphere. They provide much ambiance to an already somber and wretched album overtone. The bass is somewhat audible to a certain degree when the guitars are played at lower levels on tracks such as 'Defile and Devour' and 'At The Door of an Infernal Realm'. Closing the album is the track 'Goddess of the Waking Dead' (how sick is that for a song title?) which combines all of my favorite elements and highlights throughout the course of the album: the lo-fi drumming, sudden shrieking guitars, synths along with the whispering and grunting vocals of "Desolate Defiler". 

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Adam M on April 21, 2013.

Before the endless classical influence took over, Septic Flesh still had a reasonable experimental nature to them. That is displayed on this particular release, "Mystic Places Of Dawn", which carries forth the epic nature of the riffs that empower the soul very effectively.

The sort of ancient history vibe that the band carries forward gives them a distinctive personality within the metal genre and assures they won’t be compared to closely to other bands. Fans of Hollenthon might find interest in the classical nature of some of these songs, even though they’re not as noticeable as on their most recent albums. The manner the band structures their songs give them a good impact. The infusion of different elements into their sound showed them to be an up and coming band even at this early stage of their development. The riffs here are all strong and upfront which leads one to believe it would be the classical elements that would show the most evolution later on. There are tracks towards the end of the album that show a need to utilize more classical instrumentation, but the proceedings are kept fairly straightforward regardless. "The Great Mass" takes more of a modern sound to this album, which sounds more rooted in Death Metal, despite the use of things like keys on the track 'The Underwater Garden' or '(Morpheus) The Dreamlord'. There is enough variety here to warrant the re-visiting of their early material.

Fans of the recent material of the band might want to know this band began and they will be welcomed with a very solid album indeed. Those with a greater mind for experimentation will want to check out every nook and cranny of the rest of their discography.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8.5
Production: 7.5
Originality: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 1, 2018.

I'm sure at some point in our lives we have been warned about provoking the elderly man or woman next door due to rumors of him/her being a witch or something vile in nature. However, because we are young, dumb, inquisitive, and extremely eager to discover the next best thing as our hormones spiral out of control we ignore all warnings and foolishly venture forth with our mischievous deed. Then, one late evening while our parents are away, we hear a knock on our door. We rush downstairs with much joy to answer, only to discover with horror radiating from our eyes: it's not the pizza delivery we all expected. Need I say more?

Void Meditation Cult's Utter the Tongue of the Dead possesses that odious presence, which enthralls and engages the listener. This is one of the most demonic albums I have ever heard. The artwork is simplistic, but it drives across the point of what is to be expected. Utter The Tongue of the Dead is catchy, groovy, gloomy and mysterious. Void Meditation Cult paces the music on the album conscientiously and gracefully. Nothing on here sounds rushed or hastily implemented just for the sake of doing so. No, this is 35-minutes of baleful, doomy, lo-fi black metal. The vocals sound like a prowling animal calculating, pondering and predatorily planning the attack on its next prey. The vocalist sounds similar to when I first attempted death metal growls after hearing them. For me, it came out as a tiresome painful grunt which I got better doing after much practice. The difference here is that the vocalist is able to maintain a deep gurgling grunt throughout the album. There are also segments in which the vocalist (under the pseudonym of "Desolate Defiler") uses extremely low-pitched gasping whisper-like chants. The vocals invoke an atmosphere of utter dread, and the lyrics are no exception on this malevolent beast of a release. The lyrics are definitely some of the most intelligent and cryptic lines of blasphemy I have ever read on an album. Only a handful of bands have ever challenged me lyrically in terms of meaning and structure; bands like Impetuous Ritual and Inquisition fall along that line. The demonic lyrics on Utter the Tongue of The Dead are beautifully crafted, hence I may quote one of my favorite excerpts taken from 'Alms for the Eyeless Idol';

"O', glorious emissary of the devil 
Beneath your dreadful wings
No seed of Christ shall thrive
Before your rancid sight
The flock shall wither as rotting meat"

The drumming and guitars are done exceptionally well. They both aid each other in magnifying the demonic atmosphere being fostered. The guitars are very audible, while the drums are very lo-fi in the mix. I hail this approach taken to have the guitars guide the listener as the drums conjure a ritualistic state of being. The synths and keyboards utilized are a welcome addition to the atmosphere. They provide much ambiance to an already somber and wretched album overtone. The bass is somewhat audible to a certain degree when the guitars are played at lower levels on tracks such as 'Defile and Devour' and 'At The Door of an Infernal Realm'. Closing the album is the track 'Goddess of the Waking Dead' (how sick is that for a song title?) which combines all of my favorite elements and highlights throughout the course of the album: the lo-fi drumming, sudden shrieking guitars, synths along with the whispering and grunting vocals of "Desolate Defiler". 

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Felix on July 9, 2019.

Everybody with a weakness for black metal knows that Immortal have released a comeback album two weeks ago and already the first advance track sounded very well. Icy leads say hello to a drummer gone insane. Battle Dagorath use a similar formula at times, but their tracks are much longer, and they are also inspired by combos like Limbonic Art. The sheer opulence of their material is breathtaking. By the way, the duo disproves my prejudice that North Americans cannot play black metal, even though one of them originates from good old Germany.

I have mentioned the excessiveness of their compositions which is sometimes a little bit too much of a good thing. For example, the ending of the second track lacks compactness and hurts the flow of the album. Unfortunately, this is no isolated case. But generally speaking, I enjoy the approach of Battle Dagorath. They catapult me back to the early days of Norwegian black metal without making compromises in terms of professionalism. On the one hand, this means that their songs have no innovative components, but on the other hand, it becomes obvious that they rely on very good ideas. Despite their lengths and the fact that breaks remain a rare asset, the songs have enough substance to keep up the tension and their more or less monolithic form is impressive. Whenever the band puts the focus on high velocity, mountains of ice or endless dark dimensions appear in front of the inner eye. Battle Dagorath, that much is for sure, are aware of the effectiveness of their carefully designed songs and this is probably not the most spontaneous work of the last decade, but this does not matter. In most cases, epic numbers with a length of more than ten minutes are not quickly spawned in the recording studio.

By the way, what about the recording itself? I - Dark Dragons of the Cosmos does not put the focus on transparency. The fast parts sound a little bit blurred, but I got used to it in a short time. Furthermore, I guess the drummer was rather a machine than a human being, however, this doesn't matter at all. The vocals also do not sound very human, but this is another story. The nagging and screaming voice lend the songs a cruel touch, even though all tracks have a soft break. "Return to Gates of Dawn", for instance, surprises with some melodic guitar lines that add a sentimental vibration. Well, the tracks are simply too long to avoid any form of breaks, but, as mentioned before, these breaks occur rather infrequently. However, they reveal a further influence of the duo. The keyboard dominated intermezzo in "Through the Rite of the Stars" seems to be inspired by the soft pieces of the criminal idiot who killed Euronymous, nevertheless, the song leaves a trail of devastation.

Battle Dagorath have not released a pioneer work. They are no trailblazers and they should have dismissed some of their pretty faceless intros and outros in order to create a more intensive overall impression of the album. But they have a knack for wintery harmonies and they do not lack fierce determination. All in all, a good record, but not on a par with the classics of the cold and black genre.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on July 9, 2019.

Everybody with a weakness for black metal knows that Immortal have released a comeback album two weeks ago and already the first advance track sounded very well. Icy leads say hello to a drummer gone insane. Battle Dagorath use a similar formula at times, but their tracks are much longer, and they are also inspired by combos like Limbonic Art. The sheer opulence of their material is breathtaking. By the way, the duo disproves my prejudice that North Americans cannot play black metal, even though one of them originates from good old Germany.

I have mentioned the excessiveness of their compositions which is sometimes a little bit too much of a good thing. For example, the ending of the second track lacks compactness and hurts the flow of the album. Unfortunately, this is no isolated case. But generally speaking, I enjoy the approach of Battle Dagorath. They catapult me back to the early days of Norwegian black metal without making compromises in terms of professionalism. On the one hand, this means that their songs have no innovative components, but on the other hand, it becomes obvious that they rely on very good ideas. Despite their lengths and the fact that breaks remain a rare asset, the songs have enough substance to keep up the tension and their more or less monolithic form is impressive. Whenever the band puts the focus on high velocity, mountains of ice or endless dark dimensions appear in front of the inner eye. Battle Dagorath, that much is for sure, are aware of the effectiveness of their carefully designed songs and this is probably not the most spontaneous work of the last decade, but this does not matter. In most cases, epic numbers with a length of more than ten minutes are not quickly spawned in the recording studio.

By the way, what about the recording itself? I - Dark Dragons of the Cosmos does not put the focus on transparency. The fast parts sound a little bit blurred, but I got used to it in a short time. Furthermore, I guess the drummer was rather a machine than a human being, however, this doesn't matter at all. The vocals also do not sound very human, but this is another story. The nagging and screaming voice lend the songs a cruel touch, even though all tracks have a soft break. "Return to Gates of Dawn", for instance, surprises with some melodic guitar lines that add a sentimental vibration. Well, the tracks are simply too long to avoid any form of breaks, but, as mentioned before, these breaks occur rather infrequently. However, they reveal a further influence of the duo. The keyboard dominated intermezzo in "Through the Rite of the Stars" seems to be inspired by the soft pieces of the criminal idiot who killed Euronymous, nevertheless, the song leaves a trail of devastation.

Battle Dagorath have not released a pioneer work. They are no trailblazers and they should have dismissed some of their pretty faceless intros and outros in order to create a more intensive overall impression of the album. But they have a knack for wintery harmonies and they do not lack fierce determination. All in all, a good record, but not on a par with the classics of the cold and black genre.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on July 9, 2019.

Everybody with a weakness for black metal knows that Immortal have released a comeback album two weeks ago and already the first advance track sounded very well. Icy leads say hello to a drummer gone insane. Battle Dagorath use a similar formula at times, but their tracks are much longer, and they are also inspired by combos like Limbonic Art. The sheer opulence of their material is breathtaking. By the way, the duo disproves my prejudice that North Americans cannot play black metal, even though one of them originates from good old Germany.

I have mentioned the excessiveness of their compositions which is sometimes a little bit too much of a good thing. For example, the ending of the second track lacks compactness and hurts the flow of the album. Unfortunately, this is no isolated case. But generally speaking, I enjoy the approach of Battle Dagorath. They catapult me back to the early days of Norwegian black metal without making compromises in terms of professionalism. On the one hand, this means that their songs have no innovative components, but on the other hand, it becomes obvious that they rely on very good ideas. Despite their lengths and the fact that breaks remain a rare asset, the songs have enough substance to keep up the tension and their more or less monolithic form is impressive. Whenever the band puts the focus on high velocity, mountains of ice or endless dark dimensions appear in front of the inner eye. Battle Dagorath, that much is for sure, are aware of the effectiveness of their carefully designed songs and this is probably not the most spontaneous work of the last decade, but this does not matter. In most cases, epic numbers with a length of more than ten minutes are not quickly spawned in the recording studio.

By the way, what about the recording itself? I - Dark Dragons of the Cosmos does not put the focus on transparency. The fast parts sound a little bit blurred, but I got used to it in a short time. Furthermore, I guess the drummer was rather a machine than a human being, however, this doesn't matter at all. The vocals also do not sound very human, but this is another story. The nagging and screaming voice lend the songs a cruel touch, even though all tracks have a soft break. "Return to Gates of Dawn", for instance, surprises with some melodic guitar lines that add a sentimental vibration. Well, the tracks are simply too long to avoid any form of breaks, but, as mentioned before, these breaks occur rather infrequently. However, they reveal a further influence of the duo. The keyboard dominated intermezzo in "Through the Rite of the Stars" seems to be inspired by the soft pieces of the criminal idiot who killed Euronymous, nevertheless, the song leaves a trail of devastation.

Battle Dagorath have not released a pioneer work. They are no trailblazers and they should have dismissed some of their pretty faceless intros and outros in order to create a more intensive overall impression of the album. But they have a knack for wintery harmonies and they do not lack fierce determination. All in all, a good record, but not on a par with the classics of the cold and black genre.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10