Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan

Well, it's the second Inquisition album. The one that usually gets to be screwed up by most bands. You know the story. The debut kicked ass and once the second album is out you kind of end up expecting more, but still you say it's O.K., even though you know you are still under the impression of the great debut. So naturally, with Inquisition's first record being so awesome I thought the guys will not easily top it.

I was wrong.

Now, I don't dissect albums. I listen to them and "look" at them from various angles, and in fact, there are tons of views possible looking at "Invoking
the Majestic Throne of Satan".

The bottom line here is, you really just have to use imagination to look at it
the right way to like it. I am going to write about one angle only.
Namely the sinister, half-drugged and mystic atmosphere of it.

No, there are no flutes nor trolls here. Nor fancy synths either. Nor fake,
pretencious complexity nor any of that wannabe black metal simplicity.
It is all calm here. Peaceful, yet insanely evil at same time.

While listening to this album, the music abducts you and puts you right at the altar of Satan, inside an old church into the weak candle light. Before you even realise, you're taking part in a black mass. Sort of like in "Rosemary's Baby", but somewhere out in the distant past.

It is truly a state of trance.

Even though most of these riffs are simple, they hide a certain subtile complexity. This raw, yet somewhat friendly guitar distortion and the organic sound of the drums and percussion seem like all have been recorded inside a
catacomb, or a garage, if you want to make it accurate.
Not because the album is noisy or has a "necro -style" production, but because it has this tremendeous intimate satanic feel to it.

In a sense, this album is alive.

Unlike the production on the debut album, "Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan" is like a satanic rehearsal. That atmosphere gets into your room thrugh the speakers, and it works hypnotic. It seems vile for a while untill you get used to it, then it sucks you in and it makes you calm and sleepy. And you end up thinking that all music should be this way. Cold, passive and hypnotic, yet raging from the inside.

I assume the main inspiration inside musical structures of these songs comes from both early Immortal ( Pure Holocaust era mainly ) and some mid 80's records from Bathory. These weird, almost "tired" and echoed vocals, if taken out of the context of metal music, remind mostly of the ones of the 80's post-punk legends Killdozer with a small doze of Attila. And yes, this is already starting to be the album-dissection again. So I better quit it.

One thing must be said about the lyrics. Generally speaking, while listening to the works of this band, and by reading their lyrics, I often have the feeling
these two guys really, and I mean REALLY, adore the Black Lord.

It's those insane, intense and dark yet very simple messages they are channeling to the listener thrughout their entire set. In the best tradition of Black Metal. Not artistic in any way but simple and convincing.
Like Acheron have done, for instance, yet without mentioning satanic institutions like the C.O.S. but instead focusing exclusively on hailing Lucifer.
That lyrical approach seems far more powerful than satanic poetry written by most bands today.

And finally yes, I am a big fan of Inquisition. No bullshitting here. I am maybe
missing the healthy doze of objectivity. But I don't care really. This is just a great album and I can't lie about it. So get it and "step into it".
Hail the Cult!