The absolute brutality that is Diabolicum's third record is unwavering in its assault tactics, and shouldn't be ignored by fans of the heavy, the goth-y and the weird.
Swedish outfit Diabolicum have been known for their brutality since 1999, and their records are few and far between; they are therefore coveted by long-time fans. New album la Pazuzu should please them. Aided by new singer Niklas Kvarforth (of Shining fame), this record is as fuzzy and industrial sounding as it is aggressive, grim and blackened, and while it definitely delves into the experimental from time to time, it is, in every sense of the term, still a pummelling metal album, not one full of interludes and pretension.
The record is characterized by the sheer amount of blast beats the group managed to fit into one record; the whole thing keeps up at a meth-heads pace, and rarely slows down to catch its breath. One of the rare exceptions to this barrage of sound is "The Abyss of Shadows," which gets almost ambient in its tone and pacing, and slows things down. This isn't a bad thing; in fact, one of the highlight tracks here is the catchy, almost melodic "Angelmaker." "Genocide Bliss" is another, and stands as one of the most aggressive on the album.
Though it's pretty unrelenting — I'd recommend it for moods where constant blast beats for the duration of the album sound appealing — la Pazuzu is definitely worth checking out if you've been waiting for a new Diabolicum record or if you like your black metal raw and relentless, with a tinge of industrial flavour.
(Code666)Swedish outfit Diabolicum have been known for their brutality since 1999, and their records are few and far between; they are therefore coveted by long-time fans. New album la Pazuzu should please them. Aided by new singer Niklas Kvarforth (of Shining fame), this record is as fuzzy and industrial sounding as it is aggressive, grim and blackened, and while it definitely delves into the experimental from time to time, it is, in every sense of the term, still a pummelling metal album, not one full of interludes and pretension.
The record is characterized by the sheer amount of blast beats the group managed to fit into one record; the whole thing keeps up at a meth-heads pace, and rarely slows down to catch its breath. One of the rare exceptions to this barrage of sound is "The Abyss of Shadows," which gets almost ambient in its tone and pacing, and slows things down. This isn't a bad thing; in fact, one of the highlight tracks here is the catchy, almost melodic "Angelmaker." "Genocide Bliss" is another, and stands as one of the most aggressive on the album.
Though it's pretty unrelenting — I'd recommend it for moods where constant blast beats for the duration of the album sound appealing — la Pazuzu is definitely worth checking out if you've been waiting for a new Diabolicum record or if you like your black metal raw and relentless, with a tinge of industrial flavour.
