 Limbonic Art
- "The Ultimate Death Worship" Nocturnal Art Productions 2002 Finally, it has arrived. The new Limbonic Art release, eagerly awaited and, well - slightly feared. "Ad Noctum - A Dynasty Of Death", the previous Limbonic Art release was and still is one of the most amazing creations ever to hit the black metal scene, well, extreme music as a whole. And few are the bands that - after creating such a classic - would dig deeper, try to go bigger, better, harder... Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce, that Limbonic Art have done just that. "The Ultimate Death Worship" has done what few might have thought possible. It has gone beyond "Ad Noctum", bringing the whole of black metal to a new level still, unimaginable until one experiences it, indescribable in mere earthly terms. And to all those, who would complain about the sudden media attention that Limbonic Art seem to have been subject to (most notably - appearing on the covers of various American metal magazines), I'll add this: here is the one band that was acknowledged by the mainstream, yet avoided being overwhelmed by its clichés and mediocrity. Better, Limbonic Art have developed a creative language of their own and remained true to it, upgrading it in the process. A language that none have been able to copy or twist to their own purposes, making Limbonic Art a truly individual band, and the standard-bearer of the individual and aggressively untamable black metal spirit as known since its early days. So, what is it that makes "The Ultimate Death Worship" a "must get"? Well, for one, there is the amazing atmosphere that this album creates. The psychotic manifestation of a mind devoted to the black void beyond life, the agony, the pure manifestation of a demonic obsession with pain, death, evil and darkness, the hatred... it's all there. Present in every scream, more real, a million times more intense than in any other musical manifestation of such nature (except the other Limbonic Art albums). The music itself is mercilessly fast, THE coldest and most psychotic black metal around. The speed is due to a drum machine, whose sound has become a Limbonic Art trademark and whose abilities this band has exploited to the maximum effect. Add to that the fast, distorted guitars, playing obvious yet original riffs that could be, in a morbid and twisted way, even considered catchy, ripping yet melodic. The effect is unique, the sound surpasses even the mighty Emperor in its majesty and yet remains personal enough to convincingly present the insides of a psychosis. A lot of credit for the psychotic (at times even psychedelic) effect goes to the (perfectly inserted) keyboards and obviously, the vocals. The vocals are simply top of the line - the screams, the agonized moans; I can't ascribe their non-human, nay, demonic quality to mere production. Daemon may bear his name with pride, for it is justified. And to top it all off, there are the effects and samples, making the album a wholeness so seldomly achieved. The whole album seems to encompass the spirit of Limbonic Art's work up 'till now, sometime seeming to reminisce even of the "Moon In The Scorpio" album (1996), yet opens a whole new dimension, far more (and openly) cosmic, at times industrialized (mind the samples, effects & synths), which it integrates into the existing with ease and perfection. Oh, did I mention that the production is perfect as well? "The Ultimate Death Worship" is THE album to satisfy even the most critical black metal veteran and impress the hell out of any aspiring newbie to the genre, I strongly recommend this one to all audiences - just don't let it be your first black metal album ever, or you'll find yourself dissatisfied with 99% of the rest.
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