OK, so I gotta ask, is Belphegor targeting me here? I mean, read that title “Bondage Goat Zombie…”

This has got to be one of the better titles out there. Metal quite often gets tagged for the craziest band names, let alone album titles, and Belphegor's is no exception. According to their bio, this album is an homage to the Marquis De Sade. If you are unfamiliar with the Marquis, you may want to look him up. He is a historical figure that captures many of the values that black and death metal espouse and express in their music. A very dark and disturbed character that would put Gaahl and Marilyn Manson to shame in his degrees of depravity (and they didn't even have metal in his day to blame his behaviors on!). This being said, I have difficulty understanding where the “goat” fits in to the whole De Sade Mythos…

These Austrians know how to bring the pain. You will be singing along to the title track, I am certain. You will be pulled into the vortex of swirling guitars and blast beats. There is a somewhat ironic majestic quality to the title track as the chorus kicks in. This is fast. This is aggressive.

If you are already a fan of Belphegor, then you will already know what to expect. If this is your first time experiencing Belphegor, then you will be in for a treat. Belphegor deliver some high quality blackened death metal. Take “Stigma Diabolicum” for example, it is a devastating blast fest that has an anthemic quality when it comes down to it. It almost carries a classical element in it. Okay, so it is a seriously tortured classical element but it is there. This is even more evident with “Armageddon's Raid” which opens with a very light acoustic piece before blasting the listener away. “Justine: Soaked In Blood” provides some interesting rhythmic changes and atypical blasting. It is almost Slayer like in its handling of its tempo and militaristic attack.

Overall, another excellent platter of dark matter from these deranged Austrians.