Review by Ryan Harding

TRIUMPHATOR: WINGS OF ANTICHRIST Necropolis

Aside from maybe Terror, it's hard think of a more active drummer than Fredrik Andersson. You can hear his talents in Marduk, Allegiance, Moment Maniacs, and now TRIUMPHATOR. His style is unmistakable - incessant snare abuse by way of blasts while each guitar note and tone shift is punctuated with alternating cymbal smashes. “Inhuman” isn’t the newest way to describe a fast drummer, but is probably the most appropriate for Fredrik. If you play an album he contributes to, you know it’s likely you will be incincerated. He may spend as much time at Abyss Studios as Pete Tagtren.

Before I get (further) carried away, though, there are other members in TRIUMPHATOR - guitarist/vocalist Arioch and bassist Tena, who wrote all the music. Lyric credits come from within the band as well as outside, including MARDUK founder Morgan Hakansson.

You’ll notice we have mentioned three MARDUK staples - Morgan, Fredrik, and Abyss. Three guesses as to which Swedish Black Metal band TRIUMPHATOR most closely resembles. That alone will probably decide whether you’ll like this album or not. Arioch’s riffs aren’t quite the match for Morgan’s, but those who enjoy the melodic blasting onslaught should not hesitate to check this out. “Conquered Light” stands out with a great underlying melody that Fredrik of course knows what to do with. TRIUMPHATOR’s answer to one of my favorite riffs from “Beast of Prey” arrives in “Burn the Heart of the Earth.”

The production style is closely related to MARDUK’s, so Tena’s basswork is audible. Tena was responsible for the majority of the music-writing, and has quite a speed fetish it would seem. Arioch scores with “Goat horned Abomination,” featuring some unrelenting china crashes from Fredrik.

This album will stand out as a contender for fastest of the year, and that’s certainly worth any true fan’s time.

4 SKULLS

This review copyright 2000 E.C.McMullen Jr.

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