Comics meets Black Metal? Sign me up. Ever since I happened to stumble upon the Belzebubs, I was eagerly waiting for the release of their debut album. Now "Pantheon of the Nightside Gods" is here and what can I say? If you're into dark and heavy sounds from Scandinavia, it's pretty likely you will fall in love with this metal gem. Following in the footsteps of bands like The Gorillaz (who of course play music very different from the Belzebubs) or metalheads Dethklok, the Comics-Come-Alive band called Belzebubs deliver a profound record that has everything you want from a Black Metal record: Blasting speed, icy atmosphere and haunting melodies.
From the somber opening with "Cathedrals of Mourning" (be sure to check out the insane clip for it, too!) to the introspective sounds of the two songs at the end of the record, "Nuns in the Purgatory" and "Malficarum - The Veil of the Moon Queen, Pt. I", the songs are cleverly composed and really stand out in their genre. The keys in "The Faustian Alchemist" that pave the way for a raging riff orgy with dynamic breaks, the Opeth-esque Prog part in "The Crowned Daughters" and the epic buildup and the majestic soundscapes in the title track - only three examples of the captivating beauty that I enjoy about this record. Dan Swanö (Dissection, Dark Funeral) did a really fantastic job as a producer.
From the somber opening with "Cathedrals of Mourning" (be sure to check out the insane clip for it, too!) to the introspective sounds of the two songs at the end of the record, "Nuns in the Purgatory" and "Malficarum - The Veil of the Moon Queen, Pt. I", the songs are cleverly composed and really stand out in their genre. The keys in "The Faustian Alchemist" that pave the way for a raging riff orgy with dynamic breaks, the Opeth-esque Prog part in "The Crowned Daughters" and the epic buildup and the majestic soundscapes in the title track - only three examples of the captivating beauty that I enjoy about this record. Dan Swanö (Dissection, Dark Funeral) did a really fantastic job as a producer.
As for the mystery surrounding Belzebubs in a similar way as the band Ghost, I'll not dig deeper to find out about the actual musicians that we hear tormenting their instruments on this nearly one hour long record. Let me just keep the illusion for a little longer. Belzebubs stand in the tradition of many bands who play with keeping their real identities a secret. I think it's fun to imagine that Hubbath (Vocals & bass), Samaël (Drums), Obesyx (Lead Guitars) and Sløth (Vocals & Guitars) will stand on stage while headbangers keep banging their heads. So I'll leave it at that and listen to this record once more.
"Pantheon of the Nightside Gods" is released via Century Media today, April 26th. or more information, check out the official webpage of Belzebubs.
You can watch the video for "Blackened Call" here: