▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Ars Veneficium ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Reign of the Infernal King █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-07-13 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Immortal Frost Productions ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Black metal and Belgium arenÆt often mentioned in █ █ the same sentence. But with the likes of █ █ Kosmokrator, Adustum, Cult of Erinyes, Enthroned █ █ and the Ordo Omegae Absolutae collective there are █ █ still some projects worth noting. As of 2016, the █ █ fierce Ars Veneficium can be added to this list. █ █ They released The Reign of the Infernal King via █ █ Immortal Frost Productions, one of the few Belgian █ █ labels to promote black metal. Having seen them █ █ live together with Fides Inversa, Tortorum and █ █ Horna, I was quite curious to hear new material. █ █ After a demo and a split with Azaghal, Ars █ █ Veneficium stepped up their game and have released █ █ a full length album, 3 years after the conception █ █ of the band. The first thing to strike me is the █ █ cover art and layout of the CD. Opposition █ █ Artworks did a great job designing the cover art, █ █ depicting a hellish landscape with the Infernal █ █ King in the center. The rest of the booklet has █ █ some nice artwork as well. The only thing that █ █ could have been a bit better would be the font, as █ █ the lyrics are difficult to decipher. █ █ The album opens with a short ambient intro, only █ █ to smack you in the face when the second song █ █ Damnation of the Soul comes along. Furious blast █ █ beats immediately set the tone for the rest of the █ █ album. Ars Veneficium has some mid-paced █ █ structures on the album as well, as is the case in █ █ Angels of Angels. But the only real break from the █ █ sheer violence is the intro of Extinguished Are █ █ the Candles of Holiness, depicting a conversation █ █ between good and evil. Next to all the blast █ █ beat-driven harshness, Ars Veneficium also show us █ █ their more melodic and atmospheric side in Reign █ █ In Darkness. With this track they prove theyÆre █ █ capable of more than just bashing their way █ █ through. █ █ Guitarwise The Reign of the Infernal King reminds █ █ a lot of bands like Sargeist or Marduk: they █ █ create a razor sharp tone. Vocalist S. sure knows █ █ how to handle his voice, exclaiming his devotion █ █ through raspy shrieks, throwing you right back █ █ into the second wave of Scandinavian black metal. █ █ Production on the album is quite clear: they █ █ managed not to drown their riffs in between all █ █ the blast beats and vocals. At times, even the █ █ bass comes to the foreground, as is the case in █ █ Angels of Angels. █ █ All in all, Ars Veneficium created an album thatÆs █ █ certainly worth a listen. Their songwriting is █ █ tight, and itÆs clear these musicians have a lot █ █ of experience under their belt. On the other hand, █ █ they donÆt really stand out as very original to █ █ me. They donÆt thread outside of the already paved █ █ ways, but then you can ask the question if thatÆs █ █ really significant? In The Reign Of The Infernal █ █ King is a solid album. It might not add anything █ █ really new, but theyÆve created a more than decent █ █ album. As a debut full length, this certainly is a █ █ strong effort! █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ Spawned in Limburg, Belgium in 2013, Ars █ █ Veneficium is now preparing for releasing the █ █ first full-length album - The Reign of the █ █ Infernal King. With their poisonous art, are they █ █ able to cast the spell onto the masses? What is █ █ the sinful offering of the Infernal King? Let's █ █ see what Ars Veneficium has to offer with their █ █ debut release... █ █ The Reign of the Infernal King strikes hard from █ █ the very beginning with a fantastic blast that is █ █ full of evil and strange disturbing power. █ █ Possessed vocals featuring the incredibly █ █ energetic growls amplify the whole feeling of evil █ █ which is ubiquitous on the album. Already with the █ █ first song, you know you're not going to stop this █ █ album too soon! The recording itself is █ █ surprisingly good and definitely up to my taste. █ █ They managed to find my favourite balance between █ █ the filth and purity. Ars Veneficium attacks you █ █ with its venomous fangs in each track and it's █ █ very easy to find the alluring moments. █ █ Skilful and creative slow-downs are one of the █ █ strongest points of The Reign of the Infernal █ █ King. The song which automatically makes your head █ █ go up and down is Reign in Darkness and this is █ █ always what I'm looking for in albums in general. █ █ Soon after emotions, which are surely not lacking █ █ from Ars Veneficium's first opus. There is a █ █ unprecedented mysticism and untamed force which █ █ gets you in each song. And when you add that █ █ instant thought: 'Oh, I want to see this band █ █ live!', you get the perfect mix for the debut █ █ album, right? █ █ Angel of Angels surprises you with the bewildering █ █ slow-paced beginning swiftly changing into the Ars █ █ Veneficium trademark fury. But that's not the end █ █ of revelations. The mid part of Extinguished are █ █ the Candles of Holiness features, I think, my █ █ favourite part of the album with a short solo █ █ which blends to parts of the song together. And █ █ that's what I also want from a record - to be █ █ nicely balanced and full of great connections. And █ █ yeah, The Reign of the Infernal King feels uniform █ █ but diverse, surprising but reliable, rigid but █ █ flexible. And that's what black metal is about! █ █ Oh yes... Yet another horde to keep an eye on! █ █ With such a confident and defined start, Ars █ █ Veneficium has got the power and potential to █ █ strike through dozens of the same black metal █ █ bands and show its evil teeth to the masses. The █ █ Reign of the Infernal King is one of those albums █ █ that will certainly be returning to my player from █ █ time to time. Definitely not another dust █ █ collector! And remember, there is only one God... █ █ and his name is Death... █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Intro 1:17 ░ ░ 2. Damnation of the Soul 4:36 ░ ░ 3. Fallen to the Realm 5:45 ░ ░ 4. Angel of Angels 6:02 ░ ░ 5. Extinguished Are the Candles of Holiness 5:37 ░ ░ 6. Reign in Darkness 3:01 ░ ░ 7. As Flames Spread into Chaos 5:28 ░ ░ 8. Thy Will, My Hands 3:29 ░ ░ 9. Bringer of Light 6:31 ░ ░ 41:46 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░