INQUISITORS OF SATAN

While DEATHSPELL OMEGA's second album INQUISITORS OF SATAN has been totally overshadowed by the releases that follow for good reason, it is by no means a waste of time checking out this album. While the debut showed an extremely talented band doing their best second wave lo-fi version of Darkthrone from the decade prior, this second release shows a major step up in the evolution of their sound. Far from the formidable behemoths of black metal beginning with the very next album, but hints of what's to come.

The music itself is that good old school, raw and nasty mix of distorted buzz saw guitar riffing that becomes one with the bass to render the two indistinguishable, a frenetic drum workout complete with blastbeats and high quality raspy vocals to die for. This is a transition album between the primitive debut and the highly developed follow-ups. This album shows the debut of DEATHSPELL OMEGA's propensity of alternating styles. While most of the tracks would feel at home on Darkthrone's "Transylvanian Hunger," there are many departures into purely black rock 'n roll where it feels like hell has gone to the 50s prom and just wanted some good time music from the past. The distortion and overall sound is the same but the contrast between the black metal sound and the old time feel is stark.

I guess i like this one a bit more than most. It hosts their long time fascination with Satanic metaphysics and shows a leap closer to the jangly dissonant progressive workouts they would hone into perfect. While not as spastic and unpredictable as the famous trilogy beginning with "Si Momvmentvm Reqvires, Cicvmspice" the seeds have been sown in an unholy place for them to fester into the great beast that would come. An enjoyable slice of lo-fi brutality if i do say. While hardly essential, i do not find this to be banished to the collector's only bin because i actually really dig listening to this one for the amazing performances on board.