Revelation (The 7th Seal)

Lord Belial's Revelation (The 7th Seal) (Hereby Revelation) is something that looks ferocious but turns out to be pretty tame. It follows two chunky, doomy albums in The Seal of Belial and Nocturnal Beast, deceiving you into believing this will be the end of a trilogy of mid-era molten Lord Belial goodness. However, Revelation feels like it came off a black metal factory production line. After a while, you just kind of accept it for what it is and then keep it for completionist's sake. It's not bad even if it doesn't tread any new ground. The formula is as classic Swedish black metal as you'd expect, never supplanting their more far-reaching peers like Dissection, Watain, or Marduk, whom they sound like without being as 'monumental' if I'm to find a phrase to describe them all at once.

The biggest detriment to the album is the lack of any wow factor. Songs like "Ancient Splendor", "Aghast" and "Unholy War" are pretty good and do feature some nice melodic leadwork, but I wouldn't call them major standouts. Nothing has that pop to make me latch onto it like the other albums. The intro is skippable, the outro is underwhelming, and everything in between sort of keeps your attention by sheer familiarity. There are all these attempts to mix it up with guest appearances but the impact is minimal. The songs themselves aren't exactly thoroughly captivating with any major hooks or unique appeal. Andy LaRoque had been responsible for all of Lord Belial's main album productions since the late '90s and as a foundation it was working fine to a point. The songwriting is what was starting to let the band down.

The Seal of Belial and Nocturnal Beast both had fatter, clearer sounds that gave them a fuller soundscape. I'm talking punchier guitars, pronounced low-end support for weight, and dare I say a warmer tone. Revelation is more akin to mid-era Marduk with its cutting tremolo and chilly atmosphere. Like Marduk, it does have some nice basswork to grumble under everything neatly as the riffs shift into automatic mode. I can't say it's in service of much but it's one thing executed well. After a while, I do kind of get more accustomed to the sound, but one listen to a song on other Lord Belial albums and I'm back to remembering why this one doesn't compete well.

In the end, it's a major step down from the previous two. In a vacuum, it's a satisfactory black metal album that's not bound to end up on anyone's favorite list. It should have taken way more meaningful chances to truly be great. Swedish black metal riffing is capable of so much and you only get glimpses of it here. Not an album that'll turn you off, but one that you won't be checking out often. Too many other albums that sound just like this but are leagues better. Lord Belial's albums before this had qualities of their own to garner interest. The animalistic tone of "Angelgrinder", the molten The Seal of Belial, and the ominous Nocturnal Beast all had different vibes to them but remained catchy and memorable.