Here's a band we haven't heard from in quite some time.Paragon Belial is a project of Andreas Classen (Shining) and Marcus Losen (Anti), both also from the band Bethlehem. This is their sophomore album, the first in 12 years. Hordes of the Darklands was a decent 90s black metal effort, and they've once again delivered with Nosferathu Sathanis. Nine tracks that would make Christ weep blood yet again, if he had any left. As a bonus, pick up one of the early copies of the record and you'll get a double digipack with the debut album included.
The snarling nosferatu of the cover art is pretty indicative of the sound here. Bold, bright production, and every song goes right for the throat with ravenous, vampiric incisors. This isn't a band interested in writing complex riffs, they just batter you over the fucking head with simple compositions and let Satan sort you out. I do not have a problem with this. I need some sorting. The title track opens up the first vein, and the rest of the songs feast on your neck. The cover of Hellhammer's "Horus/Aggressor" is well done, the vocalist even shifts it up to use a voice more reminiscent of Tom G. Warrior.
I am actually partial to some of the slower tunes here, like the vile groove of "Abomoth" or the slow crushing avalanche of "Goatspawn". They even have a song called "Grimdozer" of all things. Come on now, and the 'patriotic' album closer "Black Metal United and Strong".
What more do you really need? This isn't the greatest album to ever necrofuel your diabolical engine of hatred, but it's well worth any newsprint maniac's time and effort to track down. Fuck poseurs. Long live Paragon Belial.
Verdict: Win [8/10]
http://paragonbelial.pytalhost.de/
