The mantra, "Stagnation is Death!", could not ring truer for Austria's premier extreme metal act. On their eighth studio album, Belphegor have drawn lyrical and emotional inspiration from the mystical celebration of Walpur... more »gisnacht. This celebration of springtime and fertility continues to fascinate with its stories of hedonistic midnight gatherings where unspeakable acts of evil and lust took place. The band pulled both lyrical content and inspiration from these fantastical and otherworldly tales which lent themselves perfectly to Belphegor's peverse and extreme attack. With Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn, the new echelon of blackened death metal, they take their creativity and songwriting prowess to infernal new depths. Catch them on tour this fall as part of the first-ever Pagan-themed Heathen Nation 2009 alongside Eluveitie, Alestorm & Vreid!« less
The mantra, "Stagnation is Death!", could not ring truer for Austria's premier extreme metal act. On their eighth studio album, Belphegor have drawn lyrical and emotional inspiration from the mystical celebration of Walpurgisnacht. This celebration of springtime and fertility continues to fascinate with its stories of hedonistic midnight gatherings where unspeakable acts of evil and lust took place. The band pulled both lyrical content and inspiration from these fantastical and otherworldly tales which lent themselves perfectly to Belphegor's peverse and extreme attack. With Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn, the new echelon of blackened death metal, they take their creativity and songwriting prowess to infernal new depths. Catch them on tour this fall as part of the first-ever Pagan-themed Heathen Nation 2009 alongside Eluveitie, Alestorm & Vreid!
CD Reviews
Not What I Expected
Joseph Fletcher | North Carolina, USA | 04/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I found Belphegor's newest album Bondage Goat Zombie to be thoroughly refreshing and excellently executed. This isn't to say that their previous releases haven't been good. It's just that this album is surprisingly good. With this album, Belphegor have embraced a more epic sound to go along with their already punishing black/death metal. Incorporating melody and patience into the music, they have achieved a more varied range of expression instead of playing pure, punishing speed all the time. The most noticeable examples are the more structured nature of the songs (some even follow a verse-chorus format) and the epic sounding choruses. Belphegor achieves this by holding the chords longer during the chorus than during the rest of the song (sometimes up to eight beats per chord). This lengthens the chorus sections and allows melodies to be played over chords. It also reinforces the verse-chorus feel, which in turn add cohesion to the songs.
With the exception of Sexdictator Lucifer (a mid-paced song and easily the weakest of the bunch), the songs follow this pattern - Justine: Soaked In Blood, Shred For Satan, and the title track being the standouts. Honestly, I could never really have foreseen that I would be recommending a Belphegor album for reasons such as these, but I am. This is an excellent example of black metal that is epic without losing any of its power."
Supreme Black/Death Metal Art indeed
Kenneth Packard | NY | 10/14/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was the first Belphegor album I purchased, although I am familiar with some of their older stuff. Upon the first listen, this album quickly became the one that would be stuck in my cd player. The one thing I did notice is how catchy the songs actually are, coming across as melodic, with memorable vocal patterns and riffing. In fact, I often find myself humming the solo to Justine: Soaked in Blood. The subject matter will probably come across as "odd" to some people, but what would you expect with a title such as Bondage Goat Zombie. If you are into black and death metal, then you will most likely enjoy Belphegors "Supreme Black/Death Metal Art." Its worth a listen or two"
Belphegor is one of those rare bands...
Wojciech J. Potrykus | San Diego, CA | 07/16/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...that can really combine crushing brutality with "bang your head and shake your fist" epic melody. I personally know of no band that is heavier and more brutal than Belphegor that doesn't also degrade into utter noise. These guys hold together a consistently demonic groove that keeps you firmly in place and under their spell while at the same time severely punishing you with some of the most brutal death/black chops you could imagine. And you're loving every minute of it.
This release is their most mature to date. As a long time Belphegor fan, I really like the direction in which this band seems to be headed - and that is to be the absolutely most evil, yet epic sounding band on the planet. Belphegor competes in this very narrow field with masters like Yyrkoon, Myrkskog, and Zyklon. With "Bondage Goat Zombie," Belphegor has just raised the bar for the others to aspire to."
Great music, Indeed.
James Hall | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 07/11/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Belphegor's newest album is much better than I expected it would be. I liked their mix of death/black metal sounds in the past, but I was always partial to the "blacker" side of things. I think that this album has a more prominent black metal sound which is great because I love the vocals of Helmuth and the justice that he gives said styles.
Great vocals, great drum work, great guitars - what else do you need? Old fans will find something new and welcomed while new fans will buy more from their discography.
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1