Review by Felix on May 17, 2020.

Black metal is a weapon against silence, bad feelings and Corona (the hyperactive virologists will confirm this very soon). Occasionally it also puts a smile on your face. Gloom, a new entity from, of course, Finland, have song titles like 'Iron Claws of Black Metal' or 'F**k Your Faith' and these names in combination with the ultra-raw sound give rise to the assumption that we are listening to some comedians who spoof the blackest subgenre the metal world knows. But Finland is always dark, cold and suicidal and therefore we do not need to think about a parody any longer. The poet who wrote the promo tells us that "Gloom is the intersection where ugly urban despair and the madness of the woods meet". Good to know, because I would not have realized it otherwise. In my humble opinion, the band just plays classic black metal. Let's say it's Azaghal with an over-revved production and almost ridiculously abrasive vocals. Gloom are also not far away from Black Beast, to drop another name from the land of the thousand black metal bands. Either way, good nerves are necessary to listen to the eight tracks that constantly sound like a screaming vacuum cleaner gone mad.

Gloom do not start a revolution in terms of Finnish black metal. They rather walk on trodden paths, but they do it with sinister elegance. Their tradition-conscious approach makes them to be very convincing representatives of their country which is going to get more and more the globally leading position with respect to the blackest art – not only in terms of quantity. The songs are based on harshness and slightly melodic leads while developing a good flow. They do not lack coherence and only fools would complain that they fail to show a unique identity. Of course, the songs do not impress with an extra portion of individuality, but the homogeneity of the material is rather a blessing than a curse. Maybe some people permanently need formations that take an entire subgenre "to the next level" and to my big surprise I have read that this is no fault in character. Nevertheless, I do not share this ideology of constant progress. I simply miss the proof that it makes the music (or the world) better. In an era of climate change (yes, it still goes on, although the Corona virus has degraded it to a marginal note) it is all the more necessary that Finnish black metal tastes ice-cold, misanthropic and rabid.

As mentioned before, all songs point in the same direction. Only the title track at the end of the running order houses a pretty strange guitar line that sets in at 2:10. Without the background noise, it could be part of a traditional metal album. However, the inorganic, blurred mix and the bestial aura leave no doubt that one is definitely not listening to pure old school heavy metal. And so I enjoy the tremolo picking of the aforementioned 'Iron Claws of Black Metal' and it's almost dramatic profoundness. I also see no reason to f**k my faith while inhaling the eponymous track which scores with merciless guitars and dynamic outbursts. Finally, the pounding drums, the atmospheric keyboards and the stormy guitars of 'Murder Yourself' make so much sonic fun that I am not able to obey this slightly presumptuous order. Thus, if you have some time, for example because you are no virologist, epidemiologist or just a notorious swaggerer, check out this work. Make these 36 minutes a well-invested lifetime.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 2, 2018.

Imagine awakening in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a cruise ship which sails steadily on the calm midnight ocean. Now imagine a sudden shift in the atmosphere as a category 4 hurricane rapidly builds precisely at the ship's geographic location. Goliath-like waves begin to lash the ship from every imaginable angle resulting in a loss of control and total panic. Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence is an album which embodies that type of hopelessness and fear in such a situation. The unholy howling and shivering shrieks of the vocalist, the ever so sudden swing in rhythm, the pulsating drumming, frantic guitars, the tremor like bass and the mysterious lyrics all contribute to something much greater than just being another death metal album.

The sound of every instrument is beautifully woven to invoke a sense of utter fright in the listener. The album is absolutely relentless in its 48-minute length. It is a somewhat long album; however, it commands the attention of the listener and succeeds at maintaining that attention. With songs like 'Verboten Genesis', 'Despair', 'Venality in Worship' and my favorite, 'Inservitude of Asynchronous Duality', Impetuous Ritual manages to drown you in darkness. The atmosphere is overwhelming to the point where a sense of time is lost as you sink deeper beyond the bed of this ocean of bleakness. Within all this chaos of clashing musical instruments, there exists a state of order. The galloping of the kick from the drums combined with the insane amounts of distortion from the guitars, places the listener in a trance-like state of being. There are various tempo shifts on the album which I view as an excellent musical choice. Variation in beats and overall rhythm swallows the listener in a blissful bellow of ambiance. As the album approaches its end you are presented with the track 'Blight' which serves as a summation of the horror witnessed and casts a blackening sky of dread over the listener who partook in this unholy ceremony.

Impetuous Ritual display professionality and deep knowledge about musical composition with this album. Their ability to keep the listener interested for such a long period of time is astounding. Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence is indeed a masterpiece. There has not been a death metal act which has garnered my attention and interest as much as Impetuous Ritual have. I view this band as a prized offering to the death metal world. What Impetuous Ritual delivered with this release is nothing short of breathtaking. Im surprised Impetuous Ritual has managed to remain somewhat obscure with an album like this in their catalogue.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 2, 2018.

Imagine awakening in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a cruise ship which sails steadily on the calm midnight ocean. Now imagine a sudden shift in the atmosphere as a category 4 hurricane rapidly builds precisely at the ship's geographic location. Goliath-like waves begin to lash the ship from every imaginable angle resulting in a loss of control and total panic. Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence is an album which embodies that type of hopelessness and fear in such a situation. The unholy howling and shivering shrieks of the vocalist, the ever so sudden swing in rhythm, the pulsating drumming, frantic guitars, the tremor like bass and the mysterious lyrics all contribute to something much greater than just being another death metal album.

The sound of every instrument is beautifully woven to invoke a sense of utter fright in the listener. The album is absolutely relentless in its 48-minute length. It is a somewhat long album; however, it commands the attention of the listener and succeeds at maintaining that attention. With songs like 'Verboten Genesis', 'Despair', 'Venality in Worship' and my favorite, 'Inservitude of Asynchronous Duality', Impetuous Ritual manages to drown you in darkness. The atmosphere is overwhelming to the point where a sense of time is lost as you sink deeper beyond the bed of this ocean of bleakness. Within all this chaos of clashing musical instruments, there exists a state of order. The galloping of the kick from the drums combined with the insane amounts of distortion from the guitars, places the listener in a trance-like state of being. There are various tempo shifts on the album which I view as an excellent musical choice. Variation in beats and overall rhythm swallows the listener in a blissful bellow of ambiance. As the album approaches its end you are presented with the track 'Blight' which serves as a summation of the horror witnessed and casts a blackening sky of dread over the listener who partook in this unholy ceremony.

Impetuous Ritual display professionality and deep knowledge about musical composition with this album. Their ability to keep the listener interested for such a long period of time is astounding. Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence is indeed a masterpiece. There has not been a death metal act which has garnered my attention and interest as much as Impetuous Ritual have. I view this band as a prized offering to the death metal world. What Impetuous Ritual delivered with this release is nothing short of breathtaking. Im surprised Impetuous Ritual has managed to remain somewhat obscure with an album like this in their catalogue.

Rating: 10 out of 10