Review by Faithless on June 3, 2020.

Blasphemed Betrayal by the North American band Dismembered Carnage is an orgy of blasphemous incantations against stablish Christian/Catholic religion. First image that came to my mind after spinning the CD was “These guys worship Deicide big time” and we all know that there is a very thin line between worshipping a band and being a rip off. Not the case here but let's find out more.

It is very obvious that Dismembered Carnage drinks directly from the unholy fountain of Mr. Benton and company. 'As Jesus Burns' emulates riffs, grooves and more than everything the infamous layered vocals where gutturals meet harsh to increase the blasphemous feeling. 'Denial of Christ' reminds the very best moments of "Serpents Of The Light" and "Legion", guitar passages that deserve some attention from the listener. 'Pastor of Disease' is another example of the evident source of inspiration for Dismembered Carnage, even the guitar tone is comparable to the one of the Hoffman brothers’ bests. In general, the band is always in an attack pose, however, something caught my attention in songs like 'Your Lord Dismembered', 'The Unholy Crucifixion' and 'Devour in the Tomb'. In the tracks previously mentioned, the band engraves their personal style. A mid-tempo groovy feeling that spices up the experience and wash away a little bit the Deicide taste in my mouth. In my opinion, the songs are well written, most of them loyal to the most brutal and sacrilegious style of death metal. Concept wise, the record gravitates around blasphemy and profane topics that by now are cliché in the genre. For instance, 'Rape the Priest', a classic no brainer track title to take the easy way into composing a death metal song.

Nonetheless, the band does not fall short in brutality, the fact that they homage a highly iconic band does not mean we are witnessing the worst of the worst here. As I said before, songs are well written and in general the album manages to entertain and bring good memories from glorious moments of death metal. I will also give some extra points for the front cover that doesn't disappoint any headbanger and metal freak, an apocalyptic landscape at its best.

Final words, Blasphemed Betrayal by Dismembered Carnage is a brutal copycat in the good sense of the expression no offense to the band or fans, I just want to point out the obvious references that come to light. Trick or betrayed!!

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 24, 2019.

Doubtlessly, The Infernal Return was a correct title, but "The Infernal End" would have been correct as well. It was the last vinyl the band ever published and due to the death of Dave Parland (R.I.P.), we will never see the comeback of the formation. His suicide was the tragic final point of the story of Infernal (666). Once a real band, Parland was the only member left when recording this sonic testament. Only a session drummer supported him.

This 7" is less biting than its very extreme precursors. Nevertheless, the songs dive deeply in the blackest oceans. Parland has never betrayed his followers and therefore the two songs and the intro have much in common with some tunes of Dark Funeral. The all-round artist plays the typical black, typical Swedish melody lines while he barks constantly genre-typical words. Nevertheless, it is surprising to experience that some mid-paced parts are integrated. They do not significantly disturb the - forgive me for using this word now - inferno, but they prevent the evocation of this utterly insane touch that some tracks of the previous outputs have. Although the double bass is permanently in action, the songs are not as intense as, for example, "Branded by Hellfire" from the second EP. Of course, the atmosphere is very dark, and the riffs do not lack excellence, but the final kick is missing. Blast beats do not show up and the guitars are no raging beasts but important tools to create the desired mood. That's okay, but it does not make my pulse race faster.

With respect to this situation, I do not fully understand why the back of the gatefold vinyl speaks of Satanic black death metal. No doubt, formations like Dissection or Necrophobic also do not only focus on absolute velocity and vehemence. Nevertheless, I thought that the creation of red-hot steel was the core competency of the here reviewed group and the eerie intro seems to promise a storm of devastation, but the two songs do not totally fulfil this promise. And this is a pity, because after eight years of silence, I expected a more destructive offering. Moreover, I hoped to get more than only eight minutes of new music. Of course, quality beats quantity, but is this an excuse for this minimalist output? However, maybe I am too rational.

In a nutshell, this is no jewel, but a vinyl with a really strong song on the A and a less furious, partly melodic number on the B side. The slightly dull production does not show grave defects while spreading a pestilent aroma. However, Infernal's end was no reason to cry, because the fragile line-up never scored with eagerness or creativity. The end of Dave Parland has definitely been more tragic.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10