Described as the kings of Dutch black metal Salacious Gods have hardly been lording it over their realm having gone pretty much AWOL since last album ‘Piene’ way back in 2005. Although material for this album was written back in 2008 apparently the “old curse” of the album title struck with recordings being lost and all sorts of problems affecting the band members. Fast forward and it was up to founding member Lezelzweard to finally put things back together and resurrect past and present band members from acts such as Kjeld, Lugubre, Asregen, Gheestenland and Nachtvrucht among others. The result is a classic sounding melodic black metal album running at just shy of an hour’s length.
There’s plenty to get your teeth into here from slower and somewhat morbid sounding numbers such as opener ‘Rise, Oh Horned One’ with thorny guitars and spiteful vocal rasps to more rampant and embittered blast-ridden belters such as the delightfully entitled ‘Morbid Revelations in Blood and Semen.’ Vocals are handled by new recruit Lafawijn who diabolically verses things in both English and local dialect Drents. Whatever language it’s in full moon malevolence and devilish intentions give things an occult and orthodox sounding narrative. There’s also extra atmosphere provided between many of the songs with eerie sounds of running water bridging the gaps between them. The rhythmically charged ‘Bloedkloete’ stands out, moving between a bracing gallop and then inverting itself with slow keyboard pulses that sound like they have been beamed down from the moon to a ritualistic coven of worshippers. The tenacious and repetitive grooves of tracks such as ‘Devotion’ are hard to shake off and ‘Gnosis of the God Impure’ is a rattling ride of bravado ridden glory complete with a fetid death belch adding to its cut and thrust.
Black alchemical precision creates cosmic dark forces over ‘Sulphur, Mingled with Poison’ which suddenly surprises by downing tools and unveiling a gorgeous lone guitar harmony and ‘Towards The Darkening Light’ purveys a macabre sense of mischief. This album is really one to gorge upon due to the length and breadth of the material on it. That’s hardly surprising due to the amount of time the band have been away and it strikes as a message of intent that they are back hungry and ready to regain their throne. A fitting return to past glories let’s hope any enforced ‘Slumbering Silence’ is now over for them.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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