Belef

Every once in a while something so extreme comes along it just makes you laugh. Usually it’s on Osmose Records, but with this new disc from France’s Belef, Candlelight is the label bringing it to the masses, or to a select few freaks in every city, at least. The band harness the chaos of raw old school black metal but avoid any of the more wimpy black metal trappings. Instead it’s go, go, go, like now, now, now, running like hell from Christians, melody and song structure, all the while sticking their tongues out and doing hilarious things on stage, no doubt. There are some death metal overtones, keeping it interesting with some slower dirges amidst the blasting insanity. Man, does this stuff ever get tiring, though. And with a running time nearing an hour, you’d have to have sold your soul to Satan to make it through this cacophony of blasphemous racket. Yeah, good stuff, but that cover art is just too much.