Album Review: Belphegor - Necrodaemon Terrorsathan
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
Twenty years since it first appeared, ‘Necrodaemon Terrosathan’ remains as ferocious and blistering an onslaught as it did when it first hit the airways in 2000. The Austrian’s third full length release is to the uninitiated, a snarling 35 minutes of demonic, or as they deemed it, diabolical black metal. It’s a terrifying testament to a band who have been active for close to 30 years, and who have always followed their own path.
The personnel in Belphegor has long been a revolving door with a list of ex-members longer than the Manchester City squad, the trio that crafted this album, singer Helmuth Lehner, fellow guitarist Sigurd Hagenauer and bassist Mario Klausner, were joined by session musicians Man Gandler on drums and synths from Günther "Gü" Wutzl. The performance is intense, as wave after wave of anti-religious ferocity pours forth.
Belpehgor has always been the vehicle for Lehner, the sole constant in the band since its formation in 1991. This album is revered by some as one of their seminal releases and it’s not difficult to see why. The blistering pace of ‘Vomit on The Cross’, ‘Lust Vanishes in a Thirst for Blood’ and ‘Cremation of Holiness’ are merely three examples of the sheer power that Belphegor possess. The musicianship is tight, the barrage relentless and the overall album a 35-minute wall of majestic black metal firepower, with subtle use of synthesizers blended into the tracks to great effect.
Accompanying the album is a digital only re-recording of the title track which is also worth searching out. If you missed this record on the first pass, it’s certainly worth diving deep into this sonic depth charge of a release.
