Without going over all the countless, mind-numbing incidents in detail, its fair to say that Black Metal has been more or less under attack the last few years – and for even longer if you want to look at the actions of ANTIFA, specifically – but in this day and age of quick, unlimited access, the spotlight has never been brighter. Ironically enough, more access hasn’t been educational in this case at all. To the contrary, the criticisms facing black metal today have never been weaker or more whiny.
Insert: Lord of Depression, Infernal Sacrament, and Tetragrammacide: three of the most hateful acts stirring in the blackest bile of the underground today; three bands that are as menacing musically as the message they deliver to those bold enough to listen. Each quite different in the way they write songs and play their instruments, LOD, IS and Tetragrammacide found themselves a common enemy, teamed up, and at midnight on September 5th, 2015, unleashed something upon the world in direct refutation of all weak-minded poser trash: Atomic Regurgitation From The Three Mouths of Humanicidal Hate. Just when you thought Black Metal might become a safe space, the hordes of the underground joined forces to deliver the ultimate three fold strike to silence the herd once and for all – and the results couldn’t be more deadly.
Initially released that night in limited cassette format, and then later on CD, this radioactive material is now getting the full treatment it so rightly deserves by Larval Productions, as it has been pressed to vinyl, available in three different color schemes, and housed in a triple gatefold jacket featuring all new, mind blowing artwork from the multi-talented Alex Shadrin of Sickrites and Serpentrance among others. Additionally, it features a single bonus track from each band, which further sweetens an already striking presentation of an unprecedented release.
And how about that presentation? Not often do you see something so incredibly abominable grace the cover of releases today and very rarely does it so aptly represent the music therein. For on the cover and spanning the length of the triple gatefold is the long awaited deliverance of a horrific prophecy; a scene of utmost horror and carnage, a snapshot into the very heart of all anti-life Black Metal. Petrified forever into the landscape by the ultimate anti-cosmic eruption are the agonized expressions of all humanicidal hope amidst elite death worshipers praising the nuclear fallout under the wings of the unimaginable. A three-headed demonic entity looms large above the apocalyptic massacre of all human weakness; indomitable, grotesque, fearsome, and without weakness, this is the face of underground Black Metal vanquishing its opponents.
It is fitting, then, that this work of atavistic destruction begins with Lord of Depression, the most traditional, old school sounding band on the split. Uncompromising in sound and message, LOD is self proclaimed “Black Fucking Metal of Hate” and have been since their formation in the early 90s. Throwing a wrench into the notion that hateful Black Metal is always bestial, necro, or minimalist in nature, LOD bring loads of riffs, hooks, and appetizing lead work to their side of the split, giving their brand of hateful Black Metal a strong dose of melodic fury missing in the scene today. Any uncertainty about this kind of attack will shrivel within seconds when you find yourself headbanging to the driving, fast paced opener “Black Flame in my Heart, Black Blood in my Veins,” a song that keeps its pace and momentum from start to finish when it closes with great burst of flashy, traditional lead work that is capitalized upon by the incredibly catchy nature of the following song “‘Til Heaven Falls.”
Undoubtedly the peak of LOD’s melodic sensibilities, “‘Til Heaven Falls,” while spewing forth hateful disdain for organized religion and the masses at large, is undeniably a rocker of a song and I have no problem with this whatsoever. If you have a problem with riffs, leave the hall, simple as that. What LOD bring to the table on this song especially is a harking call to the beginnings and essence of extreme Metal, an embrace of the ways of old in the ever ignorant, vapid modern age. Their blend of no frills old school Black Metal and tasteful heavy metal influence is a remarkably awesome, inspired addition to this split that carries forth its mark of consistency through the following song “Ultimate Rejection and Slaughtering of Your Faith” and the previously unreleased bonus “You Reek in Life as You Will in Death”. Both without a dull moment and perfectly executed, LOD does a great job of grabbing your attention and locking you in, which is the perfect set up for the blasphemous ritual that is to follow…
With a few cracks of the drumsticks, you are greeted with a wave of roiling, sulfurous riffs and evil command by Infernal Sacrament, the second head of this tripartite union of absolution. With none of the four songs exceeding the two and a half minute mark, the brand of Black/Death played by Infernal Sacrament strikes with short bursts of hellish fury aimed straight for your jugular. “Cleansed by Hellfire,” as alluded to, breaks things off mercilessly with boiling tension that explodes now and again before building for the next round of demonic outburst. A true scorcher of an opener, “Cleansed by Hellfire,” with its catchy flame throwing percussion and deep guttural calls for the ultimate End, paves the way for the unrelenting, steady ceremony that is to follow.
A driving, no nonsense black/death assault, “Invocation of Asmodeus” runs straight through you. With a great sense of unstoppable, black intent, “Invocation” comes and goes in a flash but isn’t one to be forgotten, as its raucous lack of structure throws all caution to the wind and does not seem concerned with adhering to any convention. It comes off as a fireball of intensely malicious energy birthed to get its point across in the most direct fashion possible.
Furthermore, it aptly sets the stage for “Visions of the Demonic,” their most hammering, unstable song on the split. Sounding almost like a companion track to the opener, “Visions…” ramps up the intensity of its bursts dramatically and seems to escalate in violence as the song moves along, with cascading, rolling drums providing all the fuel for the everlasting fire Infernal Sacrament pay homage to. Additionally, the bonus song included, “Initiation Ritual,” is a truly sick fucking bonus to this malevolent, evil force, as it supplements the three songs to a greater degree with a rawer production value and old school feel while retaining all of the bands rapturous fury.
Up to this point, A.R.F.T.T.M.O.H.H. is already a wonderfully orchestrated release, but surely it couldn’t get that much better, could it? Wrong. Dead wrong. Perhaps intentionally saved for last, hailing from India, comes the final atomic strike and the most deadly one to boot – Tetragrammacide. Perhaps the most destructive force in the underground today, Tetragrammacide initiate you with an ominous intro before violently casting you into the Abyss on “Vama-psychic Vama-phryc Vama-prism,” smothering you under an aura of complete malevolence with unrelenting blast beats, gutterals, and sudden bursts of screeching guitar that tear open the very fabric of reality. With a low fi, cryptic production that perfectly suits the raw, primitive, explosive nature of the music, the overall sound here is incredibly dense and uncompromising in nature.
Fittingly, after a bit of a come down in the action, “Vama-psychic Vama-phryc Vama-prism” sees a moment of sudden, unpredictable brutality at the 2:09 mark when Tetragrammacide hit you with one of the most abominable, hard hitting transitions I’ve ever heard. With cymbals crashing all around, Tetragrammacide don’t just resume their martial attack, they hit another gear entirely, as the attack is twice as deadly this time around, their intent clear and obvious: to savagely beat and maim anything and everyone in their path and sever all ties with the detestable Demiurge. With hammering ferocity, the song blasts its way to its grand finale, bringing about the next sonic spell, “Transmutation of the Ego and Flesh.”
Yet again raising the spectrum of violence, “Transmutation…” is an absolute scorcher from start to finish. As Tetragrammacide detonate their second atomic ritual with rabid, ever quickening blasts and razor wire riffs, the effect on the mind is tremendous, as you feel that this is truly the sound of all physical matter in the universe being stripped away. Each cymbal crash is like lightning, every subtle shift in rhythm and pace, another fist in the face of creation. Break neck and pulverizing in style, “Transmutation…” ends in a barrage of sonic chaos as it should, and as they tend to do, Tetragrammacide leave the listener in stunned disbelief at the utter carnage and uncompromisingly harsh, martial discipline of their craft.
And if you’re left wanting more, good news: after the outro, there’s a tremendous bonus track entitled “Baneful Abortion of the Cosmic Fetus” for your sick, demented pleasure. Very much in the style of the barbarous, noise driven manifesto known as the Tetragrammacidal Oration demo, “Baneful…” begins with rumbling before all comes crashing down under a wall of voracious noise and subterranean undercurrents that move “Baneful…” along a dangerous path of disintegration, as only the astute and shadow-side dedicated will even begin to understand all that is behind such seemingly indecipherable ferocity.
In summary, if you’re still reading and think that I’ve already said more than enough about this release, the truth is there isn’t enough I can say about this release. Just as only a pair of well trained, properly oriented ears will be able to uncover the subtleties of the closing Tetragrammacide track, only the truly dedicated will be able to fully appreciate the significance of this release. Specifically intended only for the strong and elite, Atomic Regurgitation From The Three Mouths of Humanicidal Hate and this vinyl edition of it in particular, is a release without equal in today’s maelstrom of shit, a vehicle for indiscriminate hate and extreme prejudice – a shining black diamond of dark art to worship and come back to time after time. Full support to all involved with this release, buy or fucking die!!!
