Review by Felix on February 4, 2026.

Mütiilation is one of those polarizing acts that make some people scream "cult" and some people just roll their eyes. I tend towards the second group. Anyway, let's give mastermind Meyhna'ch and his new drum slave another chance. Four epic tracks and an intro, this is what we get on "Pandemonium Of Egregores". To my surprise, this is not the most infamous pandemonium ever. The songs have more structure than those of the predecessor, the breaks aren't boring or predictable, but they do not tear the tracks apart. The duo manages the material's complexity not in an outstanding manner, but it finds its way in its own territory. This is more than I expected. Unfortunately, the vocals are very sick. Is this the attempt to sing in a conventional way? The voice just sounds crooked, off-track and inappropriate. It does not do justice to the solid, sometimes even good guitar work. Indeed, the guitar lines create a resilient degree of depth and atmosphere. This alone lends "Pandemonium Of Egregores" more quality than "Black Metal Cult" could offer.

Nevertheless, it is difficult for me to listen to this work and more or less impossible to enjoy a cut like the title track wholeheartedly. A few parts are well done, but all in all the song does not appear very consistent to me. The fact that the French war brigade is not immune against standardized, slightly boring sequences further worsens the impression, while the raw yet in no way amateurish production gives the songs an actually good frame in order to come into their own. The guitars spread profound density, the drums are not just a popping sound in the distance. But let's get back to the title track which shows both the talent of Mütiilation to write compact, pretty thrilling speed parts – and the fact that they lack courage to throw away the non-convincing ideas. Anyway, this song, as well as the entire album, gives me an idea at least why some maniacs follow this band. Their weird individuality has its charm. It is no unique approach, but definitely exceptional. The sick artwork seems to confirm this thesis.

How could it be otherwise, the text of the promo is not notable for its modesty. It proclaims that "Mütiilation is the main reference in the French Black Metal scene". Well, Osmose, their equally French label, seems a little biased (or even partially deaf) to me. There are still more than enough parts on this album which are going nowhere and despite some cool ideas I do not see an outstanding song-writing talent. Admittedly, this band / project has left its footprints in its national scene, but maybe more in terms of quantity than with regard to the quality of their outputs. Either way, those of you who like the aesthetics of really ugly black metal somewhere between Darkthrone's "Under a Funeral Moon" and "Total Death" can lend an ear or two to these fatalistic, demoralizing and corrosive 32 minutes. Compared with "Black Metal Cult", an upward trend is unmistakable and moreover I appreciate the fact that the band wants to be as close as possible to the true essence of its genre. Perhaps the third output after the comeback takes the next step.

Rating: 6.1 out of 10