This is the band that calls itself “satanic elitist black metal” and a “necrocult.” As most everyone knows by now, Attila Csihar is an official member of the band, but the practice of guest musicians continues. Nattefrost from Carpathian Forest, Irrumator from Anaal Nathrakh, Bard “Faust” Eithun now with Dissection… The question is whether this all star parade through the recording studio door is a positive or a negative. Nattefrost’s vocals on “The Alienation of a Blackened Heart” are great, and the drumming on the same track is by Irrumator, once again a passing grade. Bard’s contribution I cannot really comment on because I have no lyric sheet.

 Code666 is calling it a post black metal classic. That’s a bit premature. Once we get past the distinguished guests, the actual band’s performance is really nothing new, especially in this over hyped sub genre called ‘post black metal’, not interesting, not stimulating. Where the debut has many good interesting ideas, the sequel has but a few and the third try, this one, there is just not really anything noteworthy here. Some interesting passages, but nothing is sustained. When effects and samples, especially endless loops, completely replace the music instead of enhancing it, it holds no appeal for me.

 When Celtic Frost did it twenty years ago it was as interludes and was interesting, but by the time they started integrating these effects they started losing fans, I didn’t appreciate it then and I don’t now. Many people can rightly claim this is not black metal, but there are still some traditional black passages. As with Fire Walk With Us, the vocals are the highlight. Attila’s vocal delivery is among his best. Strip out all the samples, effects, programming, techno beats, etc. and there is some interesting music, add it all back in and the whole is a less than memorable release. “Does Not Compute” is techno dance in an emergency room. Sterile. “U.V. Impaler” is slower paced with some melody, basically a metal song. “Faustian Spirit of The Earth” has faster drumming, nice growling vocals and a thrash feel with simple yet effective guitar rhythm with the sampling effects not too bothersome. “The Triumph” is slow, mellow, except the vocals of course, and the vocals are key to this one. Like all the rest, it can’t escape the techno disco thing, degenerating quickly at the six minute mark. Discard the last five minutes and you get a good song.

 The highlight of the disc is “The Alienation of a Blackened Heart” with its audible bass and quick high pitched guitars. Too bad it is less than three minutes long. By the way, the disc includes mp3 files and a video, but the video would not play on my computer so I can’t comment. I think I’ll go listen to Carpathian Forest now.

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