Metal and perseverity go hand in hand, I feel many is a band that you can mention that work and toil away in the trenches with little or no recognition, or get a following for work ethic, etc and Cirith Gorgor can fall in to the this category. I’ve been familiar with them since the days of the very first release Onwards to the Spectral Defile and that was in the year of 1999. As I listen to this latest release not that it’s bad but I don’t really see that too much that has changed.

Okay let me elaborate further with this a bit. I do see upon research that they have gone through various  lineup changes, old members leaving, new members coming in, old members returning  and with this being said, the return of vocalist  Satanael is welcomed. He gives a stellar performance adding a dimension of vitriol to the lyrics while being dynamic to the songs themselves. The song “Wille Zur Macht” is a great representation of his performance (listen to his howls at the 3:05 mark), along with “Into the Nameless Void”. The other sole original member, drummer Levithmong (also handled vocals at one point the bands career) maintains a solid foundation and gives the songs a rabid backbeat. New to the fold, guitar player Valefor maintains the sound of the history past. Special note, you can hear bassist Waldtyr in the mix!, maybe because he was a guitar player in the band in prior years? Nonetheless it’s a welcome addition to the sound and to hear him, it adds a new dimension to the sound. But with that being said, still nothing of a really groundbreaking nature or anything really different in what they play has changed. One thing that I do appreciate and hear in the music is the native history of the band.

Being that they are from the Netherlands, in past albums and with this, CD I get a sense of history and melodic structure in their musical approach and one CD from the past, in particular being devoted to a period of history of their native country lyrically. A major plus for me, I do have to say I really enjoyed the cover artwork, the brighter colors, the imagery kind of contributes to the lyrical stance on what they convey in the music. Definitely not a bad release but nothing really new either from them.

So back to my introductory comment, I guess it’s a good thing that they maintain a solid output over the years despite the changes within the band and with drummer Levithmong carrying the torch for the sound and integrity of the band throughout the years. With Visions of Exalted Lucifer, you know what you’re getting  a solid release of blackened fury but for those that are looking for something to stretch black metal boundaries, may need to look elsewhere.

[Visit the band's website]

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