It’s ok to be all anti-religion and wield the axe that will slaughter all Christendom, but if you can’t come up with a suitable alternative, then it does seem to be a bit fickle. Luckily, Idoaltria have given us that insight into the new world. Here, we will be ruled by a serpent, a noctule, a goat and a vulture. Perfect.
Using a predominantly aggressive black metal assault interspersed with some downright heavy-chugging brain blenders, this record does once again stray into that blackened middle ground. This is, as I have said before, a lovely place where many of life’s greatest pleasures are born. Just wish the gift shop was a bit cheaper.
Having recently enjoyed the sublime ‘Cosmic World Mother’ from ….And Oceans, this is an album cut from the same cloth. The barrage of spiky, crepuscular shadows that loom from ‘Serpent – The Father of Darkness’ as well as ‘Noctule – The Emperor of Scourge’ are exquisitely counter-balanced by the expansive, harrowing beauty of ‘Goat – The Servant of Underworld’. Of course, then the vulture turns up and eats everything.
This will, without a doubt, go down a storm and is one of the best things to come out of Italy since Tenebrae In Perpetuum’s album some time last year. The drumming performance is, in itself, extreme and all the elements slot neatly in around it. Hugely absorbing, well written and glass-shatteringly heavy. Bosh.
9/10