I’m not messing with you when I tell you that reviewing a Norwegian album is a breath of fresh air to me. I grew tired – and bored – with Norwegian black metal over 10 years ago, and with the exception of occasionally drunkenly trying to impress lay people with Taake’s Myr (and my daily dose of eargasm thanks to Mayhem’s Cursed In Eternity), I really haven’t listened to much Norwegian black metal since.

Misotheist are a little different, though. In an unpredictable twist, the trio has eschewed the tried and trusted formula of its ancestors and embarked on a much different, nay darker, path, paved precariously with sludgy rubble mixed up with coal from the depths of the genre. The path leads to a cavern and a mysterious hypnotising chant beckons me forth.

What would Jordi La Forge do? I don’t know, it’s likelier for Conan to make an appearance. I did peek in though – for 38 minutes, more or less. Vessels by Which the Devil is Made Flesh is certainly a short one by black metal standards, but it really needs not be any longer. Its three tracks are packed full of cavernous riffage and despondent yet full of anger vocals. Something is brewing in the depths, and only Misotheist could reach it.

First piece Stigma is a 12-minute groovy chaos anthem, with no frills, just straight up punches. Misotheist doesn’t beat around the bush and gets down to business after a short intro that sets the atmosphere. It’s perfect for when you’re nervous or stressed and you really don’t want to calm down. Fuel the anxiety. Use it.

Track two, the titular Vessels By Which the Devil is Made Flesh, slows the tempo down, but not terribly so. Reliant on tasty hooks and Urfaust main man IX’s vocals, the piece is the sound of a well-oiled steampunk war machine being used in new and even more evil ways. It’s a good middling track, but not as good as the first and the third. B. Kråbøl and IX’s vocals are only marginally different, with IX’s being a tinge more droning, which really fits the vibe of the piece.

Last track Whitewashed Tombs made me wonder whether it’s about the whitewashing of history – or whether I was desperately trying to flex my art history degree beyond the Dürer-esque album art. This piece seriously ups the bass factor – as well as the riffage. While it’s a lot more melodic than the previous two, it doesn’t hold back its punches. It also slows down to a very dsbm lilt around 13 minutes in, and it’s “chef’s kiss”. If dsbm sounded like this nowadays, I wouldn’t be perpetually stuck in 2008. Anyway, this piece offers such a good progression that I’m recommending this album to anyone – from the casual to the experienced listener – based solely on it. And, with a length of just over half an hour, there’s very little to lose.

(7.5/10 The Flâneur)

https://terraturpossessions.bandcamp.com/album/vessels-by-which-the-devil-is-made-flesh