Unrelenting is a word best used to describe this release. Featuring three tracks each from two fairly new US extreme bands, it rages pretty much non-stop for the 26 minute duration of its stay.
First up are Throne of Sacrilege, who kick out an unashamedly rabid Marduk-ian style of black metal with a heavy leaning to death metal in their unforgivingly chaotic riffage. No necro bedroom recordings are to be found here, as this is blasting and well produced as this style comes. Divebomb squeals and rampant soloing spices up the riffage, as do cavernous growls which sound as though they’re rumbling from the very depths of hell. These guys enjoy their use of film samples to add to the occult edge, with their final track ‘As The Black Wind Howls’ using a sample from The Omen 3 before the manic riffage blows the doors off and leaves you once more swimming in tremolo madness.
Part two of the split is from Impurium who actually have a very similar style to their split counterparts, enjoying the speed and crushing Christians with vitriolic abandon. However, these guys have a yearning for Norse mythology in their lyrical topics (their second track ‘’til Midgard’ as a prime example) as well as an added love for more of an old school edge to their riffage. Their final foray is ‘Ad Secular Impurium’ which begins with a crunchier, slower burn in comparison to their opening salvo, before putting pedal to the metal once more to figuratively char your surroundings with reckless glee.
Did I mention that the CD is limited to 666 copies? Clichéd or not, the music is forged with a spite and hatred that is hard to falsify. A decent enough split album, with two up and coming bands who I’d really need to hear more from to get a fuller idea of their futures. However, this serves as a thoroughly spicy start for both their careers.
(6.5/10 Lars Christiansen)
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