Review by Felix on November 2, 2021.

Black metal from the other side of the (formerly existing) iron curtain often has a spooky feel to it. This is especially true of records that celebrate the pure form of the genre and come across as neither whiny, orchestral, nor experimental. Inferno's work from 2003 belongs to the albums that present the Eastern European style of black metal without diluting ingredients. The production is not perfect, it's a bit rumbling, but that only adds authenticity. Hardly anyone needs clinically clean black metal, and if they do, they won't find it in the shady forests of Moravia. But probably there are a few other singers there who sound like Adramelech, a kind of prototypical East Europe vocalist. His incomprehensible language screeching, moaning and hissing, he is always with one foot over the borderline to insanity. Anyway, his screams and the dark lines of the guitar are a very good match.

Well, intro and outro do not add any value to the album and throw four of the album’s 35 minutes into the bin. However, between these two worthless pieces one can find a lot of good stuff. Seven regular tracks linger around and none of them leaves a doubt that the Czech horde has fully understood the formula of black metal. Not only, but especially the beginning of 'Krev Naśic Králů' shows the close relationship between the musicians and the spirit of the genre. One might say that this song with its emotional, soft guitars at the beginning does not convey the essence of black metal, but I disagree. From my point of view, the credible attitude of Inferno makes it possible that even a softer track carries the blazing torch of the misanthropic genre.

I said there is a lot of good songs to discover, and I am convinced that no fan of the darkest art will be disappointed. Nevertheless, I also want to make my position clear that Inferno do not deliver an outstanding work. Their pieces follow the standard rules of second wave black metal and bands like Serbia’s The Stone or Czechia’s Cult Of Fire have a much more individual approach. But the term “standard” in combination with black metal indicates a more than solid album, because most of us surely like the genre for what it is and not for what it is not. So be happy that V Návratu Pohanství... bundles all aesthetics a work of this style must have. Therefore, you will not miss a constantly dark atmosphere, effective tempo shifts, dull guitar lines, echoing vocals and adequate, vigorous drumming. Fans of early Behemoth will like this avantgarde-free material, I am sure. Unfortunately, this cannot be said about all albums of Inferno.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10