Passio Christi Part II / Necrophagous Abandon

The second part of “Passio Christi” was released on the same day as part one and is equipped with a similar design. This makes it easy to compare both EPs. Once again, Possession’s offering includes intro, outro and two songs between. This time they start with a wicked eruption of rage, hatred and misanthropy. “Crux Immissa” scores with the almost usual level of diabolic terror, yet due to its short length, it remains somewhat one-dimensional. I am still speaking about a good song, but I prefer the tracks of part I – and the same applies for “Stabat Mater”. Here Possession reach their top form again while generating an infernal whirlwind. Every tone underlines the satanic spirituality of the group. The excellent, diverse guitar work takes the listener under its spell and especially the repeated line at the end of the song seems to lead her or him into a dimension of endless blackness. No doubt, the point of no return lies already behind us as the sacral choirs ring in the ending of “Passio Christi”. 87% for the very well-produced part II from my side.

Finally, Venefixion from France present their business card. They also do not shy away from pitch-black sounds, but the leads reveal the band’s predominant affinity for death metal quickly. I don’t know why this formation also needs an intro. The two “Passio Christi” splits are filled to the brim with these ambivalent sounds, but it doesn’t matter. Really relevant is that Venefixion play (black) death metal of the more interesting kind. The hammering, fast-paced drums roll out the carpet where the guitars walk elegantly without forgetting to show their brutal side. The vocals make sense as well. It’s not just this monotonous growling that makes everyone fall asleep. Okay, the Grotesque cover version makes them sound like Vomitory, but this is rather a compliment than a reproach. I confess I bought the vinyl only because of the involvement of Possession, but now I freely admit that Venefixion add significant value to the split. And the name of the cover song (“Ripped from the Cross”) seems to pay tribute to the dark concept story of the sinister Belgians… 79% for Venefixion.

All in all, it was a pretty costly affair to get both vinyls of “Passio Christi”. A normal release would have been more fan-friendly and the effect of the large-sized artwork would have been possible on a gatefold release as well. Nevertheless, I don’t regret the purchase. Possession is among those few bands that really have understood the idea behind the black subgenre – and they have found competent comrades who contributed good stuff to both releases. I am curious to see what the future will bring in terms of Possession.