Review by JD on March 17, 2011.

With the explosion of Black Metal all over the world, we as metalheads are looking for those few bands that truly do stand out in the genre - hoping to find that one singular band that makes your soul jump out of our weak and very fallible mortal bodies to praise Satan over and over again. Out of the hellish mists and fire strewn paths, comes the Netherlands spawned Heretic.

Heretic has been around for awhile (since 1995) and has been a unseen force until now. With blasphemous lyrics and malefic brutal riffing, pummelling drums and venom spitting vocals that seem to burn the ears of religious leaders all over... Heretic embodies all of this with their career spanning collection aptly titled "Praising Satan - 15 Years Of Ultimate Satanic Sleaze ". I had not heard much of this bands music before this, so getting this sort of ‘best of’ album was the best thing I could have gotten.

With 13 songs that seem to span most of their career up to date, it would be stupid to pick only a few songs to highlight on this album to express what this band does. Doing an overview would work here and dispense the wordy prattle. The overview is that Heretic give birth to some powerful Black Metal that seems to stoke the brimstone flames and make the Harpies at Hell’s gate dance. Strong songs and very larger than life music are what they bring, and they use all of that so effectively.

I am enthralled with the powerfully strong music that Heretic brings, and they seemed to get stronger and better with each album (listened to most of the cd’s all from a friend of mine). I have found my Black Metal muse. All hail Satan and his minions... after hearing this album - who needs Jesus?

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 8.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on February 23, 2017.

This is a refreshing combination of new songs and old favorites.  The nice southern influenced side of John Garcia is on full display on this album.  It makes for a pleasant and relaxing set of songs to listen to when wanting to comfort the mood. 

Since this album makes use of songs from Kyuss, those tracks are undeniable in their quality.  The new tracks nicely complement the old ones.  One thing that is very clear from the disc is that John Garcia is able to convey this subtle mood to absolute perfection.  This is seen from both the new and old tracks because most are acoustic led numbers.  The songs have a groove to them that is undeniable and similar to what the band Kyuss was capable of before.  They take place at a mid-pace that is always comfortable to listen to.  The problem I have with the album is that there’s so much material that’s already written from Kyuss that is seems more like an E.P. with extra tracks added to it.  Don’t get me wrong, the material here is of a high quality, it’s just that there’s a sort of incomplete feeling that’s left here.  Still, the quality of the Kyuss tracks makes them seem a little different from the ones already present and they match the somber mood that the album is going for.  They entirety of the album reassures the quality of John Garcia and expands on his now growing solo career.  This will also please those looking for more Kyuss-related songs.  Still, it’s not perfect and the need for new material will be felt for sure. 

One only needs a quick listen to see how much impact there is with this singer’s material and the Kyuss tracks add a new slant to old favorites.  The Coyote Who Spoke In Tongues comes recommended to fans of the stoner genre.  

Rating: 7.7 out of 10