Taking one look at the album title I expected it was going to be a case of “get thee to a nunnery” here. Then again it doesn’t take much for visions of novices gripped in ecstatically manic activity at alleged satanic behest to enter one’s thoughts, especially considering what a great job, Ken Russell, Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave did with Aldous Huxley’s delirious prose. Still there is no actual explanation of narrative from the ever-fertile hub of Austrian duo Helmuth and Serpenth here, it’s pretty much devilish business as usual on this their 12th album. Active since the early 90’s and with solid output both recorded and on stage they have dabbled in all manner of anti-ecclesiastical mischief throughout their career along with bondage, gas mask terror and a spot of goat bothering for good measure. Following up from 2017 release Totenritual I, fully expected a bit of vicious blasphemy here and to be fair that is pretty much what I got.
That said, there is a clear division of pounding blackened death stompers and more grandiose atmospheric numbers here, normally one type following the other. The title track slowly builds after a dead evil sample into a controlled possession of the senses as lustful demonic entreaties are made to a host subject and our devilish fiend sinuously gains entry. Lots of groove, rumbling bass, snarly vocals and slow pounding drums here giving a sense of the horrifying. By comparison ‘Totentanz – Danse Macabre’ is absolutely malevolent in its belted-out brutalism. This could even give Marduk a run for their tanks, demons of hell hot on their tales. The vocals are spat out harshly in a rabid rapid-fire style and already we are seriously in need of an exorcist. Even I can work out the translation of ‘Glorifizierung des Teufels’ and we get some lush acoustic guitar melody and a much more restrained symphonic piece from the group than one might have suspected. It’s even got some backing choral chants and serves a mass for the dead in a glorious deconsecrated cathedral. Squealing pinch harmonics litter the corpse of ‘Damnation – Höllensturz,’ this is death the brutal way but the layered production and mix and mastering by Jens Borgen has plenty of those underlying symphonics about it making things sound massive. It’s also where ethnic Middle Eastern twists and turns pervade taking it far away from the originally suspected medieval Loudon.
The second half is equally varied with an intoxicating melody charming ‘Virtus Asinaria – Prayer’ giving it a feeling of divinity and mysticism whereas ‘Kingdom Of Cold Flesh’ is an exercise in pure savagery. Whatever pace the songs come at the album seems over in a flash but has an addictive personality which is guaranteed to draw you back. Despite intruding quite a bit, certainly in the second half to Nile and Melechesh territory The Devils is far from one dimensional and offers a few surprises along the way. My download promo version came with a bonus track Blackest Sabbath 1997 a ballsy re-recorded medley of ‘Blackest Ecstasy’ and ‘Blutsabbath,’ which certainly went down well too.
(7.5/10 Pete Woods)
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