Review by Ryan Harding

INFERNAL Hellspawn Records

Been awhile since we heard from Blackmoon, aside from his dissatisfaction with Necropolis Record's decision to release the last War full-length against his objections. He evidently wanted a faster final product. INFERNAL is probably what he had in mind, and then some. This EP features four unbelievably shredding tracks of self-described "satanic holocaust Metal." Their fetish with hell is apparent; they don't play guitars, drums, bass, or do vocals, they use hellsaws, hellstorms, holocaust, and use hellfire. The end result, unsurprisingly, is hell-paced.

The all-star line-up features Blackmoon as well as ex DARK FUNERAL bandmate Themgoroth on vocals, WAR / IN AETURNUM bassist Impious, and one time member Matte Modin, who drums full time for DEFLESHED. Every song is a descent into dissonant-melodic (you'll understand this paradox if you're familiar with Swedish Black Metal) armageddon. Blackmoon had no problem saying it was very much like his old band DARK FUNERAL, and that's about the most accurate description I can give you myself. The difference is that INFERNAL seems like a tighter and even faster entity. "Wrath of the Infernal One" is the only song that doesn't start out at one thousand miles per hour, it actually waits about ten or fifteen seconds.

Themgoroth is a welcome fixture, I've always enjoyed his screams to summon blasts (as on "Storms of Armageddon"). Modin's stamina is remarkable as he decorates many of his blasts with infectious cymbal crash stop patterns - "Under the Hellsign" -, laying percussive waste to a foundation riff as Blackmoon plays a lead pattern on another guitar. Few days have passed where I haven't thrown this on at least twice. They may be in the studios this summer to record the full length, though right now I don't know if they've found a permanent replacement on drums.

If Blackmoon re-records WE ARE WAR with this line-up, I'll be forced to revise my review of the original.

They'll blow it the fuck away.

5 PERPLEX SKULLS

This review copyright 2000 E.C.McMullen Jr.

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