Review by Felix on May 1, 2019.

Heralding - The Fireblade is no regular full-length, but a re-recording of older songs that are mixed with some previously unknown tracks. This fact alone makes it slightly difficult to describe the album as a whole. "...of Forests Unknown", for instance, is based upon some straight and fast-paced, double-bass driven verses, the voice conveys pure combativeness and every Christian camp near the Northern coasts is on red alert. A very strong number that pleasantly reminds the listener of some pretty harsh tracks from the debut. But don't think that this piece represents the complete material. Generally speaking, the compositions follow a relaxed and "skaldic" approach. Fast rhythms do not play a very prominent role and the vocals switch from clean to aggressive and back to clean. Each and every number has a sufficient substance, but I miss some furious moments. Especially "Hávamál" does not belong to the most adventurous tracks I have ever heard. Indeed, some parts of this patchwork don't work and deliver rather fatiguing sequences.

Okay, let's stay fair. The sixth track boasts, among other things, with fantastic guitar lines and explosive drums. It storms over the Northern sea like a natural force, doesn't it? Yes, but it has already been released on the debut. Even the opener is already well known, it appeared on the second full-length. To be honest, it remains a mystery, why the artist recorded these pieces once again. I admit that "Heathen Foray" (once titled "The Heathenish Foray") reveals its full potential for the first time. Falkenbach celebrate a majestic, mighty and triumphant epic and it would have been a great bonus track, no doubt about it. Nevertheless, I don't understand why it was chosen to kick off the album. Has the captain of the dragon boat lost the orientation? Either way, the dubiously compiled full-length has more in common with the (too) restrained "Ok nefna tysvar ty" than with the first two works and some almost shy compositions suffer from seemingly endless "ooohooohooo" or "a ha ha" vocal lines. Where is the rage of the Northmen? In my humble opinion, acoustic guitars are not the right vehicle to transport their archaic way of living.

Production-wise, Heralding - The Fireblade has no reason to fear any comparison. The album sounds warm yet powerful, robust and well-balanced. This and the fact that the lone wolf behind this project has a talent for great melody lines result in a decent work, even though some songs seem to be left unfinished. Especially the endings of a couple of tracks convey a surprisingly awkward approach. Nevertheless, once one has got used to the album, it's a pretty good soundtrack for a relaxed Sunday afternoon (or a Saturday without football). Falkenbach was and still is a force to be reckon with, because its outstanding artistic quality always shimmers through, even though it does not always shine in full glory on this output - and that's the reason why the rating does not exceed the 70% mark.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Review by Alex on June 15, 2020.

Another freakish mental discharge emanates from the triumphant Fornicus once again agitating the forces of evil on their latest record Sulphuric Omnipotence. At the slightest glance of the artwork it’s understandable why anyone would be intrigued to check out where it leads. Surely it looks like the kind of cover art an Incantation album would have but the gentlemen here conduct themselves in a faster more brutal way than the death/doom masterminds. Fornicus plays black/death metal, but not the linear, one chord structure brand. Instead they apply multiplicity to their hand of destruction and emerge with an album living up to the hype of its picture-perfect gruesomeness.

Seems like only yesterday when I revived the digital promo for this macabre piece but time and the abundance of so many good bands all offering worthwhile metal to sink the teeth into would eventually jumble themselves with this. Luckily, by the sheer chance of thought and note-keeping, Sulphuric Omnipotence can get the attention can get some of my undivided attention.

Placed under the black/death metal microscope, consider Sulphuric Omnipotence a unification of Marduk ("Panzer Division" era) and Incantation that plays out brilliantly. 'Perdition's Guiding Wings' directs the black/death metal onslaught with its chord heavy doom that shoots into a corrosive outburst of blast beats. A venomous combination of snarls manifest on the wings of 2nd wave black metal tremolo riffing that plunges into a death/doom metal black hole. With burning intensity 'Sulphuric Omnipotence' picks up where its predecessor left off; sharp black metal vocals and death growls combine forces amidst a troublesome drumming display and spine rupturing riffs to lay down a menacing attack.

From here it’s all too easy to get behind with songs like 'The Abhorrent Path' and 'Vitriolic Proclamation' offering tunes as sick as their titles. Fast and catchy blast beats in conspiracy with the Eldrich vocal duality and of course, loads of extremely well played guitar riffs. The Incantation parts sparkle on tracks like 'Inexorable Path of Death' and the likes that have a considerably slower demeanor. Everything fits so neatly that it becomes a spectacle; the transitions amongst mid, fast and utterly slow doom sections cannot go without praise hence the sensible and tactile ways in which they are implemented.

'Stormwolves' and 'One Mass Grave' are huge favorites of mine, they're precise, on the money, black/death/war metal militant marksmanship instrumental of the highest degree. Equipped with all the traits of an experienced band these tracks are without guessing the heavy-weight bullets of the demonic 40 caliber shot on Sulphuric Omnipotence. Eradicatingly heavy, yet at the same time excellently assembled in terms of instrumentation; tight musicianship, no sloppiness.

A must own for any fanatic of instrumental extremity and diligence, Sulphuric Omnipotence is within the underground shadow of militant black/death metal, thus a new milestone is accomplished in Fornicus' history.

Rating: 9 out of 10