Belphegor is a band that needs a little introduction. The Austrian Blackened Death metal titans have long pushed the boundaries of their unique sound and cemented themselves as a powerhouse within their genre. In this current age of rapid consumption, the sort of longevity that a band like Belphegor has commands attention, particularly when they play a more extreme style of music. Having released the impressive Conjuring the Dead and Totenritual during the 2010s, it was always going to be with a keen eye that pundits would watch to see how the band built on those offerings. Following a five-year gap between releases, with the band’s 12th opus The Devils we get to finally see just how the band has chosen to usher in their third decade of existence.
The opening track, album namesake The Devils sets an ominous tone for what is to come. Discordant harmonies atop tremolo-picked passages and blast-beating drums create an oppressive soundscape that is completely engrossing — and all of this before adding in ferocious vocals come over the top. This isn’t their fastest song, but its slower pacing and sharp sound create a very impressionable introduction to the album. In contrast, the second track Totentanz – Dance Macabre fires like a bullet from the opening salvo. The track holds a steadily fast-paced tempo throughout its duration, impressively built atop an incredible drumming performance.
Glorifizierung des Teufels (translated to Glorification of the Devil) slows the pace back down again and uniquely employs acoustic melodies to create an air of mystique to the track. The chorus utilizes chanted style vocals which provide the song with an oppressive feeling of darkened religious undertones. The fourth track Damnation – Hoellensturz raises the tempo again and is carried by a very bombastic bass line that continues to hit hard over its five-minute run time. The pacing of this song beautifully transitions through different phases in its first few minutes, and while it starts off as something that seems like a mid-tempo romp, the tremolo-picked passages people expect from Belphegor are here in droves. A uniquely placed Mediterranean-esque interlude helps shape the tail end of the song, finishing it in a different manner entirely from the one in which it started.
Mid-album song Virtus Asinaria – Prayer continues the trend forged by the preceding track opening with a steady-paced instrumental passage, before introducing a darkened choral-style vocal performance over the top. This song has some incredible harmonies and its slower pacing allows the listener to really enrapture themselves in its atmospheric ambience. Subsequent track Kingdom of Cold Flesh is again a more atmospheric track that begins with an eastern-influenced opening, before settling into a faster-paced and harmony-rich groove atop heavy blast beats. Ritus Incendium – Diablous which follows is another absolute belter of a track with a discordant opening that morphs into a song that really embodies all of the hallmarks of a classical black metal anthem.
The penultimate track Creature of Fire opens with a more cinematic and epic feel to it, which it maintains throughout. Feeling more akin to a track accompanying the downfall of a hero in a scene from a movie, this song really strips back Belphegor’s sound, offering a reprieve from the constant aural bombardment found across the album, and stands uniquely original on the album as a result.
While not part of the official tracklist, bonus track Blackest Sabbath 1997, an amalgam of tracks Blackest Ecstasy and Blutsabbath from the band’s 1997 release Blutsabbath closes off the album with some strong familiarity. The unique take on these classics is sure to garner some affection from older fans and newer ones alike.
One of the greatest strengths of this record is that there is more nuanced than the band has previously employed, particularly through the slower cadence of many of these songs which provides a great refresh of the band’s often unrelenting sound. While it might not be for everyone, the ability to incorporate these stylistic changes into their music so deep into their career is a true credit to Belphegor, and this innovation is indicative of why they have continued to be a powerful force in the extreme metal space for such a long time.
Reinvention this late in the game might spell disaster for most artists, but a desire to push the already established envelope can usher in a new era of success. While Belphegor has never been a band that has settled into formulaic songwriting practices, their ability to constantly innovate is a credit as to why they continue to experience great success. As an album, The Devils typifies this work ethic, and while Belphegor continues to eschew monotony and push their boundaries with every single release they will continue to be a guiding light for extreme metal.
