Originally released by Sylphorium Records in 1998 and limited to 1000 copies this has seen the light of day a couple of times before on vinyl and cassette but has now been completely re-mastered (it was apparently never mastered originally anyway) and given fresh artwork for new cultists. With such a grand album title, you should be in little doubt that you are well and truly about to be thrust into the dark lord’s presence. The opening sample, which sounds like it has come from an obscure 70s’ Satanic witchcraft movie only goes on to enforce the message and apart from a few of these peppered between songs, the rest of this dark hour plus of music belongs firmly to Dagon and Incubus. Formed in Columbia and with vocalist and multi instrumentalist Dagon relocating to America and finding his drummer, the duo have stayed a consistent project without need of any other input for over a decade. I caught them at their debut UK gig in 2006 and was pretty impressed at the ritualistic and even trance inducing form of occult black metal they deliver and this, does little to deviate from this tried and tested style.
We start at a gallop with ‘Unholy Magic Attack,’ as Incubus batters away and we get our first taste of Dagon’s vocals. This does not change throughout the album, there is no wide range of singing here, everything is rigidly delivered in a monotonous fashion but this is the way they are meant to be. It does take a bit of getting used to and could actually put the unsuspecting off the music and one could also rudely describe his stance as sounding like a bewitched croaking frog. Songs are long and if you are expecting it all to be fast you are in for a surprise, there are many slow parts here, doomy, sluggish and gnarly as they creep cadaverously along with the repetitive croaking calling through their mire. Lyrics are all about one thing and they are quite easy to decipher with rhyming couplets causing a certain amount of amusement. Subtle Satanism it might be and it works well to get under the skin with songs like ‘The Initiation’ calling you to the Sabbath. Actually this one does differ a bit as it has a folk-laden flourish about the instrumentation adding a feeling of reckless bacchanalian abandonment to proceedings.
Honourable Hecate Enthroned reward for best song title goes to ‘Summoned By Ancient Wizards Under A Black Moon.’ Sudden rhythmic pushes and even the odd cackle from the vocalist come out on this and the sinuous guitar work skeletally drags you to the altar to meet thy doom. Huge whooshes charge out the undergrowth on ‘Journey to Infernukeorreka,’ like a gate from hell has been opened. There are also plenty of high charged guitar flurries to come as ‘The Infernal Regions Of The Ancient Cult’ drags you into a head banging fervour and the melody going through these numbers is maybe gnarly but damn infectious. I absolutely love the doom riffing in ‘Solitary Death In Nocturnal Woodlands’ the big peaks from the guitars remind a little of Godflesh although obviously a lot slower with the drumming. Last song ‘Hail The Cult’ is a real odd one with twisty turning guitars and low intoned vocals really leaving you with a Satanic disorientated drugged up feel.
I missed this first time round (yep I am a poser) and would actually be interested in how this compares to the original sound, sure I am getting the better, if not the truer replication of the album this time around though. I really enjoyed this and found myself in tune with it very quickly despite the fact that I am sure it is an acquired taste. Like the new artwork a lot too it really does go well with the music. The fifth full length album ‘Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm,’ follows late 2010.
http://www.myspace.com/inquisitionusa
