The Toddler and the Priest / Deathless Will

The only split recording Arkhon Infaustus and Canada's Revenge have done so far in their careers is a 7" vinyl recording they did together. AI's contribution "The Toddler and the Priest" is a heavy and brutal monster of pounding death metal beats and a filthy, grinding bass-heavy sound. The song is sinister and unhealthy in ambience and the singing drips with venom and evil anticipation. Given that in the French black / death metal world, small children and Roman Catholic priests are a recipe for disaster (usually for the more vulnerable of that combination), the evil-smelling reptilian horror reeking from what these musicians cook up in this song is no surprise. Hearing it makes a person feel dirty and disgusted with the state of institutional religion, and I'm sure AI feel the same way as I do.

Revenge do their chaotic all-over-the-shop splatter-gun black / death metal attack and while 'Deathless Will" is highly aggressive, pounding and screechy, and something that helps the French band on the other side of the record mow down and flatten all the perversion it finds, the Canadian track seems less focused and as a result a bit less intense. Both tracks are very heavy and while I respect both bands' styles and approaches to combating the evil they may find behind normal everyday life, I find Arkhon Infaustus's piece has a slight edge over the other band's track.

I really wish this had been a longer split recording - a 12" vinyl at 33 rpm, no less! - with at least 15 to 20 minutes for each band: this would suit Revenge's usual custom of short punchy albums and given Arkhon Infaustus a bit more room to extend its tirade against mainstream religion and the damage it does. Anything shorter doesn't do either band justice.