Review by adhlactha on May 3, 2020.

Is there something more medieval and darker than the Blut Aus Nord’s album Deus Salutis Meæ, but in a pure sense of modern times? This album is a real joy for those who truly enjoy such mesmerizing and raw darkness. Even with this kind of dissonances and disharmonies, it is logical and complete musical album with no boundaries in extreme music genre. And even with the love of French for innovations (in music as well), Deus Salutis Meæ can’t be counted as one more avant-garde black metal record.

So what is so unique with this record? The band intricately combines the raw black attitude with psychedelic background, but industrial moments visibly add some noise to the record. The dark and creepy introductions (like whole instrumental songs as well) are long enough to prepare you for ultimate heaviness, but even their ambient passages are created to affect you psychologically. And the multiple use of vocal layers intensifies the blackness and eeriness. The screams and whispered emotional shrieks just finish off this total atmosphere of dark destruction. There is no vitality in this record, but still it’s dynamic, even if rhythms vary from almost inactive abstract ambient compositions to energetic and fast black metal fury (like on 'Apostasis') with shrieking guitar solos. There are special effects, and it’s done purposefully to reflect more canonical black metal sound; of course it’s not so raw as for example on Darkthrone’s records, but nonetheless there you won’t find cleanliness on the sound. Frequent stillness almost guides the album on doom metal path, though there is more black metal influence, but the band never chased to fit in musical styles’ rules. Technically the compositional structures are complicated, so that adds the whole abstract progressiveness. Everything is important here – raw sound, noise elements, multiple vocals of Vindsval, disharmonic and atmospheric ambience, because the entire complex creates this hopeless and horrifying atmosphere with no compromises. It’s built on contrasts, so that’s why this record is so deep and emotional (but only in a dark sense).

French extreme music has always progressed in unique and individual pattern, even with Les Légions Noires they created their exceptional black metal (but of course under influence of Norwegian black metal), and now even more bands break the boundaries of style. And Blut Aus Nord on the record Deus Salutis Meæ proved that they are one of the most intriguing and strong members of European experimental extreme community.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10

Review by Tobias on March 19, 2005.

Absence of something great (or even just pretty good) often results in the build-up of a deifying view of whatever is missed over time. When it comes back, that deified view produces the highest expectations that when not met shatter the magic aura of this prodigal son. Judas Priest is not that underachieving prodigal son; from an encompassing view of Judas Priest's styles, Angel of Retribution may very well be the best album the British metal gods have delivered.

The sound on Angel of Retribution is so fitting; Priest gives us the cumulative effect of their entire career with sounds from each era bursting through... okay, maybe not so much of Rocka Rolla, or most of the seventies albums for that matter (which largely featured a toddler Priest still developing fine motor skills and personal identity), but there are still definite nods to this era in tracks such as the slower "Worth Fighting For."

Not only does the sound thread through their discography, but so do the lyrics with words such as "sad wings," "painkiller" and "stained class" all making appearances. Nostalgic hoopla or just plain cool? It's safe to say that the lyricism, instead of inspiring personal interpretation and meaning on a very cerebral or even spiritual level that is often demanded of intelligent metal fans today, is more apt to inspire visions of cheesed out and clichéd metal videos having Rob Halford standing on a rock, dressed in leather (of course) and singing intensely with his head bowed and a gloved fist curled toward his eyes. Not appealing to you? Then skip this disc. I, on the other hand, along with many old and new fans of Defending the Faith and Painkiller, am having fun.

That said, the opener "Judas Rising" and the voracious "Demonizer" have gone to the finals for the best Priest song tourney; thunderous, vicious and absolutely shredding, these are the highlights of the album and the juiciest bait for Painkiller diehards. Yet at the tail end, their doom epic "Lochness" is the least appealing of all, mostly because of the rather unimaginative lyrics that get stuck in your head like a popcorn shell under your tooth. Everything between varies in tempo and style bouncing from one era to another. These other tracks are not earth-shattering by any means, but the Judas Priest fan will embrace and likely grow to love most if not all of them. Flawed? Yes, but there's no getting around the bottom line here: for all fans of classic metal, Angel of Retribution is here to slay.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 7
Originality: 6
Overall: 9

Rating: 7.8 out of 10