Review by Elijah on January 31, 2020.

Infant Annihilator - what a band amirite? The media perception and the perception of people (who know this band exists in the first place) is just very random and all over the place. Some people hate this band, some people like this band. Their first two albums have had their fair share of attention, both good and bad, (mainly bad according to some people), but after a few years of some unpredictable and interesting music, we got a new album here!

The Battle of Yaldabaoth released on September 11th, 2019 (which is Aaron Kitcher's Birthday by the way) is something new and fresh with heavier, matured, and improved sound. The single "Three Bastards" provided a peek at the newer and latest sound of the band, and it was pretty good, but the whole album is even better. It's really a huge improvement! Their old stuff isn't bad but this album is more advanced and thought out compared to the previous releases. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is, but this is indeed some quality stuff. My birthday is also September 11th, so to have a shared birthday with Aaron Kitcher and on top of that, a new and improved Infant Annihilator album too? What a great gift!

Every area of this album is good. From the songwriting, songs, vocals, instrumentation, etc. nothing disappoints. This album has the same formulas used in older Infant Annihilator albums, but with something else more to accompany it. It's pretty obvious the band has taken some influence from other related bands such as Rings of Saturn and others. More intricate and thought out songwriting, drum patterns, guitar parts, and more expansive vocals. Of course, you still got the trademark Infant Annihilator vocals which is the low guttural bark-burp-type growls, and the scene band-black metal sounding highs. But on this record they're even better. It’s obvious Dickie spent some time arranging and composing the vocals for this record, and he did a good job, that's for sure. The general sound on this album is also just magnificent. The drums don't sound nearly too processed, not everything sounds too buried, this is more of an open atmosphere record, and every second of it is good.

I also like how they incorporated some strange little small parts in some songs too. Tracks like "Plaguebearer" and "Paedophilic Supremacy" do this very well. "Plaguebearer" has some chuggy Meshuggah type stuff in the 1st half of the song, and it's groovy and moves the song along pretty great. "Paedophilic Supremacy" starts off with some fury but then slowly descends into something mellow. I guess you could call this some jazz-type stuff (I guess?) I don't know for sure, but the stuff that track does it pretty cool and unique. These are signs that the band has again, improved with this record. Can't find anything to complain about if I'm being honest. This release is a smooth and cool listen that doesn't have any bad parts.

Great job guys. Another cool album, and something newer too. The album art is unique, the songwriting has more oomph, epic title, everything has increased in quality quite a bit, just every single thing fits in here and works. Definitely one of the best of 2019 so far.

Overall, this album is GOOD. Even if you're one of those people who have nothing but hate for Infant Annihilator, you have to admit that The Battle of Yaldabaoth is something of improvement and better-ness. Take the time to listen to this in full, don't smear this as some "INFANT ANNIHILATOR SUCKS AND SO DOES THEIR NEW ALBUM DEATHCORE SUCKS" bullcrap. If you're one of those people, please just stop. This is a good listen. 2019 has been a great year for metal, and a new album like this coming from a band like Infant Annihilator, you should at least give this a little something of approval.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on December 16, 2020.

A long time ago, I began to listen to hard rock and metal (Kiss, "Talk to Me", slightly embarrassing, and AC/DC "Back in Black", much better) at the beginning of the eighties. Afterwards, I saw the first wave of thrash metal come and go. Then I witnessed the Norwegians and further dark creatures who filled the gap that the Bay Area left with the second wave of black metal. And now I just meander around, never knowing what comes next. Yet two things are for sure. Firstly, I have become very old and wrinkled. Secondly, sometimes it's a great pleasure to rediscover an almost forgotten album of times gone by.

So let's put the focus on Thy Primordial's full-length from 2000. These guys were not lazy, it was their fourth release during four years and perhaps this explains why the group acted like a well-oiled battle tank. The Heresy of an Age of Reason sounds fiery, deadly, a little bit rumbling but still all-terrain. Only ignorant fools do not realize in a matter of minutes that the protagonists originate from Sweden, because the black vehemence is combined with these typical Dissection melodies and vibes that one also finds in the fascinating art of Necrophobic, Setherial or (partly) Dark Funeral. There seems to be a unique chromosome in the DNA of Swedish black metal musicians. No matter how intense, brutal and negative it gets, a pinch of dark, capturing melodies is always included. Thy Primordial takes this specific feature to heart. This means that their relatively complex songs are - compared with those of their compatriots - not overly original, but they score with this devilish elegance I like.

Some special sections shine through the everlasting wall of sound. 'Ex Opere Operatu' offers an introduction that reflects desperate sadness, 'Disguised as Beings of Light' holds large-size, majestic lines and 'Tyrannize' delivers the best riff of the album, catchy and aggressive at the same time. All these elements are welcome, but, even better, the album works as a whole. Although the band has nothing in common with Mercyful Fate, the more or less occult artwork visualizes the music very well. Pure black metal spreads like incandescent lava, an unstoppable, natural force. Maybe the band should have shortened one or two tunes. Moreover, a few number of tracks is not easily accessible, but this is no big deal. The main thing is that integrity and homogeneity go hand in hand here and the result is a mostly furious black metal album which features, inter alia, the typical guttural vocals. The performance of the lead singer deserves the same description as the entire group and album: not pioneering, but passionate and simply good.

Swedish metal albums hardly suffer from a weak production and The Heresy of an Age of Reason joins the long row of powerful and brawny works. Even the very fast parts of the album do not sound blurred or unclean, but the recordings also do not show any signs of sterility. It's a pity that this band closed its rehearsal room forever after six records, because the dudes did not make many mistakes. Maybe the surplus supply of comparable formations sealed the fate of the here presented horde. Anyway, if you are interested in dexterously performed Swedish blackness, you will probably share my preference for Thy Primordial.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10