Inquisition

Black metal duo Inquisition (composed of guitarist/vocalist Dagon and drummer Incubus) have held a steady line-up for the last 17 years. The pair have spent that time creating and refining a dark, chaotic black metal sound with the occasional addition of a blistering thrash riff to inject a little extra juice into the infernal mix. Obscure Verses for the Multiverse is their sixth full-length and clearly represents a moment in their careers at which they are deeply comfortable with the aesthetic they've crafted. While lacking the vast, crushing depth of Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocos (their finest moment), Obscure Verses has a pummelling force and intelligent sense of urgency that keep it compelling. Their sound doesn't feature a great deal of unnecessary distortion dirtying things up, just enough to evoke that classic black metal, raw iciness; they focus on creating a sufficiently blackened and evil atmosphere through the song structures, rather than effects, which lends the record a sense of authenticity and craftsmanship. Inquisition have most definitely fallen into a comfortable niche with this record; however, whether they use it as a platform to innovate from or a groove to stagnate in, only time will tell.