A strong production quality as not surprising, diving into the musical components one would think that Hypocrisy has done just what they have, which is to be among the realm of melodic death metal output heirs.  This album is solid, the music ever-flowing gist of pure crunch distortion alongside some heavy drums and screaming from Peter.  From the first song to the last, it's never really letting up in the intensity factor.  Pure aggression and great melodies not to mention that the tempos are mostly rhythm guitar oriented creativity galore!

Nothing here really to dislike by me, I think it's one of Hypocrisy's finest outputs since they changed from death metal to a more melodic sound.  I don't really identify with the lyrics, but the music is played out so well and the vocals never get boring.  What we have here is melodic death domination!  The naysayers may tell you differently, but from my aspect, I never got sick of playing this one.  In actuality, it's very complex in songwriting skills, more so than their newer album that was released last year called 'End of Disclosure.'

There are so many tempo changes here, but it's mostly in the vein of fast guitar riffing bolting out some venom in their creation and quite admirable to say the least.  I particularly love the gallops and ultra fast picking Peter explodes on here.  I only have very good things to say about this one.  The music is filled with overtures that devastate the listener and destroy your speakers.  There's a combination of screaming out hatred alongside low bellowing pieces that give you more variety.  It's amazing regarding the guitar/drum work here.

If you're a big fan of melodic death metal, don't pass this one up.  YouTube some songs to see where you can hear that crisp production sound and guitar, intensity in the musical quality, and screaming alongside it.  An excellent effort from the band as a whole, not much let up in madness, Peter has shown listeners something that is really amusing not to mention original.  His songwriting quality is superb here even though I'm not much into what he writes about.  Pick this one up if you're into their "newer" sound and I doubt there will be any dislike!

Rate: 90%

Reviewed By Death8699 (secret_face_metal@yahoo.com).

A dark and raw recording here, but not so raw that you cannot hear the riffs that goes alongside this obscure album.  I find it to be quite interesting, better than just "decent", actually would give this an average rating because I enjoyed the music and overall aura to this album.  It's for the most part slow, but there are instances where this one emits some forcefulness.  Overall it's quite a creepy album, but admirable.  With just a little over 38 minutes all of it is not in English, however, the music is really dark and depressing.  It's a definition of what black metal should spout out, but it isn't one to emit super positive ratings as seen from others.

However, this release is still pretty cool it's entirety.  I enjoyed the production quality, the guitar riffs and the production sound.  Again it's slow but definitely worth checking out.  It wasn't one that is overtly aggressive, it's tantamount is truly admirable and not really any splint of diversity.  I think that Khold's intentions here is to demonstrate the true potential of the band, but for me, I wish that it was written in English.  That being said, it still has qualities that reflect talent and creativity.  It's well warranted that one should give it a try.  I wouldn't buy into any negative ratings, but it is just average.
One album to chill to on a wintry day, wishing that some of which dismay brings one to this reaping release quieting discontent.  The music here in its' entirety is a mixture of tremolo picking of chords and some segues into a more tranquil sound.  All and all, it's quite morbid, but palitable.  An album that points the direction to the utterly spellbinding raw appeal and darkness enthroned.  No blast beats whatsoever, it's mostly featured with mild guitar riffs with distortion and the mixing quality was to a point to where you can hear the riffs clearly plus the vocals don't overshadow the guitars or drowned them out.

Everything such as mixing quality is well done here and I think it's not an album that'll put you to sleep, it's one that musically it implies creativity and imaginary stints of havoc bleeding in utter darkness.  I do think that since the band is currently active according to records, they'll make more albums that progress from this.  But yes, average is what I ultimately think that it is.  So don't expect anything extreme here.  This is an album that is true Norwegian black metal, just a little more raw and rears it's ugly head to listeners putting you in sort of a trance with musical trauma.

Overall, I give this one a "C" because there could've been more creativity bestowed here, even though I think it's well played out.  It's not like early Darkthrone albums, it's a black metal album that's totally dark, but a production quality that emits force plus does justice in hearing everything clearly muscally and vocally speaking.  Yes, 10 years old since it's original recording, maybe a little more, but one to pull out when you feel like hearing some raw black metal that's played in such a way that it'll truly move you in it's morbidity.  There are actually 2 drawbacks that are blatantly obvious here: the fact that it's not in English and the riff quality could've been a bit more creative.  Pick it up if you're looking for darkness visible.

Rate: 75%

Reviewed By Death8699 (secret_face_metal@yahoo.com). 

From the reichs of hell come forth now on this older and exceptionally raw release.  Quite melodic, yet filled with dismay and despair.  Much is to say of an album like this, I'd conclude an epic journal through the fires of hell.  It's amazing in temperament, lucid in musicianship, symphonic throughout and purely wicked in content.  Many different tempo changes, yet mostly that of a mysterious vibe.  It reaches its' peak in quite valid symphonic/melodic black metal.  Not many that I've heard out there reflecting this raw efficiency of a nocturne.

I really dug deep into trying to validate an album that really is probably the best, most atmospheric Dimmu album in existence.  Such a great offering with lucid tempos, original guitar melodies and overall a definite triumph hence a coin off the name of the release.  Not much a fan of the lyrical content, but the music is like none heard before from them in this raw arena of mass destruction.  The vocals are utmost yielding screams throughout and with it a guitar sound in so many ways just utterly original and fantastic.

From beginning to end, this album is feature is of a sure blast of hellfire in a nutshell.  If you get the extended release, there is a bonus track and the whole album is about an hour in length.  Definitely something to listen to when you can adhere to the atmosphere of the release.  The keyboards/synthesizers augment the scound of the guitar and eerie vocals yielding melodic black metal in it's utterly devastating demise.  There has been no other Dimmu to match this one in utmost originality.  The guitar riffs are just amazing and everything fits.

No real downsides on the album.  The songs aren't exceptionally fast, yet you hear the double bass drums firing away at times during the tremelo picking essence of guitar riffing.  Not a lot of blast beating here, I believe that the focus was on creating black metal that is to hear the best in the heart of wintertime.  Not feeble or weak in any sense, the music is ongoing in its' great apocalypic persevearance.  I can't believe what happened to this band with further releases.  It seems like they hit their peak here and then opted out of making follow-ups that are nowhere near topping this one.

I'd stress to YouTube "Mourning Palace" to get a taste of what this one has to possess.  A full album that you can play endlessly and not get sick of it's raw sound mixed with the instruments that leave the listener in awe of musical quality played out with purity in feel.  The setting is so dark and defies all of the odds, to me, this is their definite best release I've heard.  No mistaking that, I give this one it's highest, most deserving of praise rating galore.  If you want melodic/symphonic black metal played so willingly desolate and dark, 'Enthrone Darkness Triumphant' is where it's at.

Rate: 100%

Reviewed By Death8699 (secret_face_metal@yahoo.com).

I've honestly never have been a fan of this band, but by word of mouth decided after hearing a song from their YouTube video entitled "Ora Pro Nobis" that I'd decided to give the album a try.  I am quite impressed by the integrity of the musicanship.  This one hear is mostly slow ridden paced with occasional flare-ups in super intensity.  Measuring it on a whole though, it's pretty moderate/slow paced with an outstanding sense of flow and distortion laden ripping guitar.  The recording quality is superb, an album definitely in the ranks of a high rating from myself.

I didn't think that the band had a real ounce of talent in the lead department, but my assumption was flawed.  Not only do you hear true and original guitar riffs, the few leads that their are on this one are executed quite superbly.  An eerie overall performance by the band and hell yeah it is a great listen too, with skeptics included as myself as one.  Don't hold expectations of enormous flare ups in blast beating, while there are some drumming that's quite intense and guitar frenzies galore, as a whole album, the music is quite capitvating and overall evil in content and essence.
Only 3 members here, but several other musicians that added their vibe to the initial musical overtures.   Nergal initiating all of the songwriting including the lyrical content that I couldn't relate to, guitar riffs which dominated and vocals that and vocals that featured a similarity to that of Vader's.  The guest musicians seemed to flood this album to make into a complete jist of unridding evil intention not to mention their powerful monarch of extraganza.  It was mostly the music that drew me in because of its' overpowering ruse.

I don't think it was necessary to have so many guest musicians, they could've excluded them to make something that was not in need of this many contributers, but nevertheless, it made the album more than interesting to hear all of the differing sounds amidst that I never could relate to in previous releases that I heard from the band.  That's why I considered myself to be highly skeptical of this album, but that went away when I heard the whole thing on repeated listens to.  Absolute perfection in the goal to them to stick to the underground and remain their to rot lying stinking in the Earth.

Try out first on YouTube the song that I mentioned if you too were a skeptic of this bands previous releases and behold an experience never before hearing here sounds that just shot in originality and a recording of a meaningful extravaganza.  This was my contention after hearing this, music never before from them to be play in such an array of variety and deathly doom that was axphyxiating and wholly devilish musicianship.  I therefore cast to say that "The Satanist" is the best listen to from this year's first purchase of total Metal onslaught.  Let the experience music of great admiration here!

Rate: 90%

Reviewed By Death8699 (secret_face_metal@yahoo.com).