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Dødsengel - Imperator review



Reviewer:
8.5

12 users:
7.5
Band: Dødsengel
Album: Imperator
Release date: April 2012


Disc I
01. XXV
02. Sun On Earth
03. ΣΕΙΡHΝΕΣ
04. No Beginning, No End
05. Momentum: On The Devil & Death
06. Holy Metamorphosis
07. Apoph-Ra
08. Pneuma: Sidpa Bardo
09. Hymn To Pan
10. Asphyxia
11. Leap
12. Stellar Masturbation
13. The Serpent's Head

Disc II
01. Towers Of Derinkuyu
02. Upon The Beast She Rideth
03. Ascending Beyond Good And Evil
04. Your Glory
05. Attainment
06. ΚΕΦΑΛΗΑ: Sabbath Of The Goat
07. Darkness
08. The Supreme Ritual
09. XXV

The two men behind Dødsengel have been releasing some quality material under that name for a few years now, catching a bit of a break with their 2010 release, Mirium Occultum, which helped spread their name across the globe and caught the attention of a great deal of black metal fans. Imperator should achieve the same results, only perhaps more so... It would be an understatement to call this monolithic. Imperator works as an epic as opposed to "just" an album, telling a 150-minute story over two discs and using every minute effectively.

Sun on Earth: Deception XXV: The Synagogue of Satan

Occultism and hypnotic pseudo-psychedelia compose beautifully structured droning epics - a boost in atmosphere, the first chapter of Armageddon. Traditionalist elements become vastly modernized with a more adequately mastered production, polishing the experimental - yet not too adventurous - ideas into a cataclysmic snowball, a momentous story that kills and destroys all characters within.

A brisk flow keeps its audience engaged... entertained, even. Idle hands are put to work and the enormity as such an epic undertaking is put on display, careful to ensure it is absorbed by all those in its path. The differences within each sub-chapter give the impression the overall concoction is comprised of fruits gathered far and wide, charred with hate and anarchy before they become ground up into the juices of sin to be consumed by the unholiest of men. Alas, it is just another story, not to separate itself from any other. Just more detailed, longer, more expressive and opinionated, and thus more likely to entice its readers in a more dramatic fashion.

Raw anarchism may be somewhat confined, comparable to the glory days when similar stories were told by what many now claim to be pioneering authors, the likes of Fenriz and Count Grishnakh, yet the story of Imperator allows this foundation to be expanded upon in ways not seen before in the ancient texts. The most evil of words within find themselves dancing to the tune of carnal melodies, highlighting themselves among the lesser of evils, glorifying anti-creation, massacre, genocide, obliteration, annihilation, and ultimately self-destruction. Life and its significance are put to the test before the chapter comes to an end.

Darkness: Matthew pt. XXV Christ and the Law

The end begins in the same manner as left off in the previous chapter, although the words contained within are much more emphatic, as if a certain momentum has lead the author into proclaiming the right of anti-creation with more passion. Words dance less and are stained more heavily by a monstrous hand pressing down forcefully on the quill... random silences make the night seem much darker, not to mention much longer, although that is likely just a fabrication of the mind due to the inability to properly focus on the task at hand.

A book must be made, and so it is. Ever-haunting, a passage into the most sinister of thoughts, Imperator builds upon the foundations set before it by the likes of some of the most renowned authors while continuing to push deeper into the psyche, where lands before untraveled will soon become high-traffic cities to be burned down and rebuilt time and time again, as has happened in years past. Hymns of the dead and the pulsating, rhythmic tribal beating of drums signifies Armageddon is nigh. The night is dark and full of terrors... beware.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 10





Written on 16.05.2012 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for.


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 160 users
16.05.2012 - 20:01
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.

This sounds hella tasty Troy, not to mention that your review makes it even more interesting. Gonna check it out asap. What a massive length too but apparently that isn't a problem. Cool.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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16.05.2012 - 20:05
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by X-Ray Rod on 16.05.2012 at 20:01
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY. This sounds hella tasty Troy, not to mention that your review makes it even more interesting. Gonna check it out asap. What a massive length too but apparently that isn't a problem. Cool.

Money: Give it to them.

I was hoping the review had kind of a... mystic or occult vibe or something to reflect the music. And this really felt appropriate given the album. Sometimes you just have to be pretentious in order to do it any justice.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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17.05.2012 - 04:01
strade

Written by Troy Killjoy on 16.05.2012 at 20:05

I was hoping the review had kind of a... mystic or occult vibe or something to reflect the music. And this really felt appropriate given the album. Sometimes you just have to be pretentious in order to do it any justice.


Sorry Troy, but you'll never be as pretentious as this: http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Skepticism/Stormcrowfleet/12934/Noktorn

Anyways, good review, and with all the varying praise I've heard for this one I should really listen to this...
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My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
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17.05.2012 - 04:54
scaesura

This release is amazing. And not just because it's long. Monolithic, epic, etc are all applicable. Their best work. Easily a 9-9.5 from me.
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17.05.2012 - 12:40
Paz
Nuclear Cowboy
Winter is coming Troy...

Great album, with each time it gets better.
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17.05.2012 - 15:13
Maxx666
Meshuggahian
Wow this is really one hell of an album!!! i can't believe i'm listening to it straight for 8 consecutive days. This album is a perfect blend of raw, aesthetic, philosophical elements woven like a beautiful night sky of Northern Norway. It definitely feels you are about to embark a journey deep into the isolated woods, while accompanied by packs of wolves... :-). Anyways its a fantastic album. 9.8 from me. and an awesome review as always
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17.05.2012 - 16:24
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
150 minutes? Oy, that's put me off.
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17.05.2012 - 17:20
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Paz on 17.05.2012 at 12:40
Winter is coming Troy...

It's always winter in Canada.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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17.05.2012 - 17:38
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by strade on 17.05.2012 at 04:01
Sorry Troy, but you'll never be as pretentious as this: http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Skepticism/Stormcrowfleet/12934/Noktorn

Challenge... possibly accepted, but probably not.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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17.05.2012 - 18:28
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Guest on 17.05.2012 at 16:24

150 minutes? Oy, that's put me off.


You can always just stop the album and listen to the rest when you feel like it
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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17.05.2012 - 18:29
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 17.05.2012 at 18:28


You can always just stop the album and listen to the rest when you feel like it

True. The more likely scenario is that I'll just forget about it
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17.05.2012 - 19:44
scaesura

Written by Guest on 17.05.2012 at 16:24

150 minutes? Oy, that's put me off.

Don't let it. It put me off at first, but once I actually listened to it it was amazing. And never a dull moment.

Although you do kind of have to break it up; like, listen to disc one and take a break, then disc two.
Written by Maxx666 on 17.05.2012 at 15:13

It definitely feels you are about to embark a journey deep into the isolated woods, while accompanied by packs of wolves...

Not sure about this. This album is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more occult and really not a naturey black metal record.
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19.05.2012 - 18:22
KwonVerge
Odysseus
Yes, that's a delightful album and although you might think it would tire due to the many compositions, it's so diverse and addictive you won't even understand how it managed to devour you.
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Dec. 30, 1334.

...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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