▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Akerbeltz ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Satanic █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-04-06 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: BlackSeed Productions ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ SpainÆs AKERBELTZ is a one band black metal band; █ █ the man whose name is where the band takes its own █ █ plays all the instruments and all vocals. I donÆt █ █ know what it is about one man black metal bands █ █ but they always kick ass. ôSatanicö is a █ █ corrosive, sometimes so dark its beautiful, and █ █ deadly album. Opening track, ôThe Red Dragon,ö is █ █ one such song that is features some very cold █ █ melodies over the depressive black atmosphere and █ █ its quite moving in its first two minutes. The █ █ abrasive satanic destruction rears its beastliness █ █ in the form of AKERBELTZÆs searing vocals, in █ █ which he sounds like he is growling with a mouth █ █ full of gravel and backed by pure chaos. The █ █ riffs are not the typical tremolo picking so often █ █ found in black metal. It is featured here, of █ █ course, but there is also so much more he offers. █ █ Around the 3:23 mark of ôThe Crypt,ö the riffs █ █ really remind me of some old school trash, █ █ specifically in ôIn My Darkest Hourö by MEGADETH. █ █ █ █ On ôBeyond The Reflections,ö the riffs have an █ █ insane galloping groove to them, not unlike a █ █ brutal version of IRON MAIDEN or perhaps even █ █ ANTHRAX, if that band was wrapped up in the █ █ eternal forces of the damned. ôLudum Mortis,ö █ █ opens with some more of that dark but wonderful █ █ melody, created by clever use of the lead guitar █ █ to create sounds that also serve as solos to █ █ bridge together the rest of the song that has some █ █ thunderous use of drumming to send it all into an █ █ unholy explosion about a minute into the song. █ █ The riffs here are extremely fast and tight; I █ █ wouldnÆt be surprised if his fingers bled during █ █ the recording of this song. As the name would █ █ suggest, ôOpus Satanicö is an epic track that is a █ █ blast of intense black metal fury, especially with █ █ his drums and their chaotic symbol usage and █ █ barrage of snare hits. Around the 2:24 mark the █ █ riffs get groovy as hell (haha, get it?) for a █ █ second and it really sets the stage of the █ █ remaining minute or so of the song that ends in a █ █ cascading fury, like shadows covering the █ █ sunlight. █ █ █ █ I also must brag about the production. It isnÆt █ █ often black metal has production worth talking █ █ about but this album sure does. Firstly, itÆs █ █ very abrasiveùthose black metal purists wonÆt have █ █ anything to complain about because it still sounds █ █ like it was recorded in a rusted bath tub. █ █ However, it really works for their sound because █ █ the abrasiveness of such a production isnÆt █ █ drowned by muddled sounds or a low volume setting. █ █ Everything is clear and loud and it mixes with the █ █ dirty production so well it gives the album this █ █ weird alien yet familiar setting. ItÆs as if it █ █ was recorded in a time long forgotten but still █ █ refuses to fade away into obscurity. This album █ █ has earned a place as one of my favorite black █ █ metal releases of the year. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. The Red Dragon 5:59 ░ ░ 2. A Deed Without a Name 3:28 ░ ░ 3. Ye Olde Hag 3:10 ░ ░ 4. The Crypt 4:14 ░ ░ 5. Beyond the Reflections 3:46 ░ ░ 6. Witchery 0:43 ░ ░ 7. Ludum Mortis 3:44 ░ ░ 8. Opus Satanic 3:26 ░ ░ 9. Chaos 4:32 ░ ░ 33:02 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░