I remember these guys! French, sometimes doomy black metal band on Southern Lord. "Manifesting the Raging Beast" was the name of the album. It was good, from what I remember. They had another album before that, so this is their 3rd. "In A Blood Red Moon" starts things off with a gloomy riff. The guitar parts are almost "rockin", like a black metal Alice In Chains. I'm not kidding. And I like AIC, so that was a compliment. It is a very hypnotic riff and part. It really doesn't pick up at all until the end when the blast comes in over the riffs, then slows down again, pretty cool. "The Forbidden Words" is next and starts off with a bang, with it's blasting away. Totally different vibe than on the 1st song. It's a great series of fast black metal riffs that can stand with any Immortal or Dark Funeral fast parts. There is a pretty cool slow/mid paced part in the middle. Then a cool build up and back to blasting. Has a killer Darkthrone type double bass mid banging part as well! This song kicks major ass! "Swamp That Shame" has a guitar effect intro that then goes into a mid paced evil melody, back into the guitar part with a sample this time. The guitars interplay with each other as a regular drum beat comes in. The riffs hit together and it gets heavy. It goes back and forth. No vocals on this one, but a cool instrumental. "There Is But One Light" has a Alice In Chains like intro riff. I'M TELLING YOU! THEY HAVE SOME AIC SHIT GOIN ON HERE AND THERE! DON'T LAUGH! Very "rockin" southern vibe. Most of the black metal "purists" will hate that about these guys, and I can understand because I'm usually a purist myself, but these guys do it OK. A creepy sample comes in, and then the next part comes in nice and dark. And then the blast beats comes. Very fuckin cool. The rest of the song has some killer interplay with the fast banging black metal and mid paced banging black metal style. "True Essence" is another interlude type instrumental that is just OK. It creeps into a creepy outro that goes into "In Every Grief-Stricken Blues". SEEEEE! I WAS RIGHT. CAUSE THIS SONG IS TOTAL ALICE IN CHAINS at the start. It sounds like Layne Staley is a zombie that broke open the coffin, dug himself out of the grave and is bent on revenge, and maybe a little heroin? OUCH! THAT WAS BAD! Anyways, this song is OK. It's a good rock song with black metal influences? If that makes any sense? The last few parts of the song are cool with the guitars, but the singer sounds like Crowbar, like taking a shit type vocals? "Nox Illuminatio Mea" comes next and has the back to basics blasting black metal part. Not as good a riff as on the last pure black metal rager on here, but good. The middle part almost doesn't fit. The last fast part is cool. "The Blazing Darkness" starts off mid paced with the singer coming in right away. The song gets kind of boring, the same 3 riffs the whole time. Which is fine if they are classic riffs, or the song is short, but not here. "Fivefold Thought" has a fast blasting start into a double bass part. It is cool, but the album has lost my interest now. "Fires of the Sitra Ahra" is next and is another instrumental and yes, very Alice In Chains gone black metal. JUST LISTEN TO THEM AND YOU WILL SEE DAMMIT! STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES! These guys make it work. The title track is last. Starts off mid paced/slow banger. Ok riffs. Kind of slower and moody. The rock tinge creeps in again. Not bad at all. Then a build up and a killer blast riff! Back to form. I have to say I like them better when they get faster. Craft, Inquisition and Deathspell Omega are 3 black metal bands that remain just as deadly when they play slow, as to when they speed it up. But Glorior Belli do have some cool slower moments. The vocals are pretty much shrieking black metal, maybe a Layne Staley zombie and some deep talking, oh and that Crowbar bowel cleaner stuff. But overall the vocalist is good. The production is a little too clean, but most major releases are for my tastes. Not a bad album at all. Interesting for sure. I MIGHT play this again and maybe again, who knows. Out on Candlelight Records.
Review By: Mike Abominator 6/10
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