Review by Felix on November 28, 2023.

The Will:
Driven by their affinity for sonic vandalism, Azaghal have returned once again. The restless Finnish institution meets Ars Veneficium, a bunch of newcomers from Belgium, in order to create an output for the underground. Both groups are united under the banner of extreme music and the will to write another chapter of acoustic destruction is omnipresent. Azaghal stay loyal to the ironclad principles of black metal and devote themselves completely to total blackness. Ars Veneficium do not intend to be left behind on the road to perdition. No doubt, in terms of passion and motivation, both bands are not in the mood for shoddy compromises.

The Power:
I don't think that anybody seriously doubts the massive force of Azaghal. During their long-lasting existence, they did not always deliver top quality. Yet it is also a fact that they never showed a sign of battle-weariness. "Uhri Yölle" flows like a torrid stream of lava. The mainly mid-paced tune thrives on its natural hostility and the mighty production which ennobles the contribution of Azaghal. The band accelerates the speed during "Varjojen Seremonia", but this track is also not exclusively focused on high velocity. Both tunes demonstrate impressively that Azaghal have never heard the term "fickleness". They celebrate their sinister art and that is the best they can do. The dark creatures of Ars Veneficium are endeavoured, but they do no reach the same level of remorseless aggressiveness. The band offers songs with constantly flowing lines that avoid an extra dose of melodies. Nonetheless, one can see the band's ambition to present powerful yet carefully thought through tracks. Unfortunately, both songs leave a very similar scent.

The Goat:
The first song of the Belgian warriors is called "Worship the Goat" and this seems to be the accepted maxim for the entire 12". Especially the misanthropes of Azaghal combine rawness, robustness and cruelty in a mature manner. This "satanic" mixture is crowned by the inhumane voice which underlines the hellish aura. Ars Veneficium are amazed about this degree of bestiality and only notorious liars would say that they are behaving like absolute beginners. Yet they have to acknowledge that the impenetrable darkness and the negativity of their Finnish opponents remain out of reach, at least for the moment. Anyway, "The Goat" will malignantly smile when listening to the results of this cooperation. No doubt, this vinyl is on his slightly carbonized shopping list, in particular because of Azaghal's songs. 80% for Azaghal, 70% for Ars Veneficium, this is his verdict. I do not think that I am a coward, but I dare not to disagree.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Carl on April 20, 2020.

It's a preconception but I'm going to come out and say it right now: whatever Western thing the Japanese do, they always do it with gusto. Whether it's cars, electronics or death metal, they go the extra mile. No better way to prove this biased statement as Invictus and their full length The Catacombs of Fear.

The sound of this band is firmly rooted in old school death/grind from the late 80's and first half of the 90's and the band plows through a collection of varied tracks in which these influences can be heard to the fullest. There are nods aplenty to the earliest works of Carcass, Pestilence, Death and Massacre, but there's also a big helping of thrash influenced riffing and lead work that firmly acknowledges acts like early Kreator, Macabre or Protector. The layered growl/scream vocal style brings to mind the work of Deicide and gives the music that demented edge needed in this aggressive style of death metal. These men know their way around their instruments, and they know how to construct an interesting song. Tempo changes are abundant, and the songs are full of breaks without becoming annoying, while the riffing is technical without becoming sterile or boring. It's always in function of the music and it never deteriorates into an instrumental wankfest. The velocity is kept high for the most part but Invictus knows when to step on the break and even built in some atmospherics in places. A good example of this is in the middle of the title track. Here the band builds in a short spherical, somewhat jazzy part in between the raging death/thrash, a move that's reminiscent of what Pestilence did on their "Testimony of the Ancients" album. Even if small slip-ups can be heard here and there, I consider this album to be quite an impressive effort, in music as well as in execution. There's one thing I have to mention though, and that is the fact that the production is a bit on the peculiar side. I can't put my finger on it but it took me some spins to get used to its overall sound.

This is a really good old school death/thrash/grind album that gets better every time I play it. The music is well executed and there's quite a lot to be discovered here. It's one of those releases that stays interesting even after repeated spins. Add to that the impressive artwork and we have a great death metal package that I can recommend to all who like it old school.

Rating: 8 out of 10