Review Summary: Basically an improvement upon the raw nature of the band's first two albums, 'Necrodaemon Terrorsathan' won't change your mind at all.
Whatever you may think of the sub-genre, it is obvious that Blackened Death metal doesn't seem to do anything at all for Metal itself. Sure, the often well-executed guitar riffs and scything solos of Behemoth and Akercocke have been known to attract the most unexpected of fans, and the lyrical content itself never seems to be lacking, but in a field of so many other sub-genres, Blackened Death metal doesn't really appeal to as much of the general Metal fan-base as, say, the grandiosity of Power Metal or the predictably yet sometimes satisfying aggression of Thrash.
That said, the frequently brutal force of Austria that is Belphegor have gathered quite a few devoted followers since their first uncompromising take on the sub-genre in the early 90's. Their first two albums, 'The last Supper' and 'Blutsabbath', while they weren't exactly anything special or fresh in many metal elitists' eyes, still managed to retain that venomous and horrific nature that charged each song with much hate-fuelled energy. With 'Necrodaemon Terrorsathan' (an album title that seems as if it was put together by random), the band offer nothing new whatsoever, apart from a few well executed solos and the fact that some of their lyrics are actually rasped in German.
Unfortunately, if you're looking for something new within Blackened Death Metal, you might as well stop reading the review. If you love the idea of a well-balanced mixture between Black and Death Metal however, Belphegor should certainly be in your playlist. 'Necrodaemon...' is one of those albums that gets more and more boring towards the end, especially when reviewing the album as a whole rather than a close listen of each and every song. The traditional Black Metal influences are definitely here in spades. The brutal battering ram of the title track and its successor 'Vomit upon the Cross' have enough aggressive energy to keep one fully awake, and the sadistic portrayal on 'Sadism unbound' is very convincing indeed. Even on the more simplistic 'Lust perishes in a Thirst for Blood', there is evidence that Belphegor have listened to more than just a few early Black Metal albums. The same goes for the Death Metal side of the album, although this is the reason why the guitar work is what it is.
That, however, is part of the major flaw within 'Necrodaemon...'. The band's instrumental performances, while they are very aggressive and brutal, never actually change at all. Of course, you would expect to read a sentence like that in a review of a Blackened Death metal album, so depending on what your views of the sub-genre are, that very sentence may or may not affect your opinion. There are two other negative aspects to the album, and two that are common flaws in Metal itself: The horribly monotonous vocals and muddy production. Some will disagree with me when I say that Helmuth's vocals just aren't at all effective, but I feel as if they should really be somewhere else, as they certainly don't match the intensity of the guitars and drums. It is well known that playing guitar and trying to scream your lungs out is a difficult task in itself, but Helmuth's vocal talent, on this album in particular, needs a lot of work. Thankfully this has since been improved upon with a lot more effort. What is strange about the production, is that it only seems to affect the first three songs. The title track, however good it is in terms of actual performance, is mostly ruined thanks to a shoddy production, which itself seems to push the guitar work and drums into the background, so that more focus is placed on the vocals. The equally as intense 'Vomit upon the Cross' and 'Diabolical Possession' also have this same problem. And that's a third of the album, probably not due to the band's input, that proves to be somewhat disappointing.
What saves 'Necrodaemon...' from being a completely terrible album however is the fantastically executed guitar solos from both Helmuth and Sigurd. On the bible bashing 'Cremation of Holiness' and disturbingly mysterious 'Tanzwut Totengesänge' solos rip their way throughout the whole of each respective song, and never once do they let up on the speed or insanity of their musical nature. Also positive on this album, although it is a traditional aspect of both Black and Death Metal, is the idea that many of the songs' lyrical content is convincingly sadistic. Helmuth screams on 'Vomit upon the Cross' that you should “Burn the Scriptures-*** your obnoxious Sermons”, and on the perhaps offensively sexual nature of 'Lust perishes in a Thirst for Blood', “I deserve your warm Blood/*** your holy Flesh/Use my cock anal/Lick my unholy Cum” is rasped by Helmuth in such perverse fashion, that it isn't advisable to be eating anything if you actually read along to these lyrics.
Of course, as many have said before, Belphegor never really have offered anything new to a hybrid genre such as Blackened Death Metal. What they have done however, is managed to keep 'Necrodaemon Terrorsathan' somewhat interesting, even if the few flaws that are largely evident within the album do put listeners off. In other words, listen to this album if you like the sub-genre. If you don't, it might interest you to give it a try, but chances are you just won't like it.
