Almost 4 years after the release of the excelent debut album A Sigh From Below, the french horde Venifixion is back with a new material, the EP Anointed in Nazarean Blood. This EP came out on the 24th of February in two formats, released by different labels. The 7″EP, limited to 200 hand numbered copies, was released by the great French label Spikekult Records in conspiracy with Obscurity of Error Records. The tape edition, limited to 150 copies, came out through Iron Bonehead Productions, and contains a bonus track, God Died on His Knees, which is a cover of the American death metal band Incubus.
Over the years Venefixion has developed their own style of extreme metal, caught somewhere in time, between the early waves of death and black metal, but without falling into the revival trap many bands have fallen into. This new EP is no exception, as it portrays an honest manifestation of bestial black/death metal sound in its purest form.
This review focuses on the 7″ EP which I received recently and I absolutely love. Even if the track list consists only of one intro and 2 songs, with a duration of almost 10 minutes, the content is extremely rewarding.
The EP begins with Oath of Har-Meggido, an atmospheric short intro which instantly sets the apocalyptic mood. “Satan, I will avenge thy torment, by destroying the Christ forever.” Once this menacing line taken from the Omen III:The Final Conflict ends, Venefixion begins its relentless attack on all that is holy and pure. The next two songs, Nocturnal Deceit and Adversarial Triumph, follow on the same path as the ones from their debut album, taking no prisoners during their glorious march. The sinister guitar riffs, bombarding drums and inhuman vocals build up the spine of the EP, all intertwined with some slower, more atmospheric parts that add a well deserved heaviness to the picture.
The slow intro of Adversarial Triumph might be misleading, but as soon as R.Cadaver‘s raspy vocals shout “Cursed be the eyes that witness our triumph“, all hell breaks loose. The song is brutal and engaging, with multiple rhythm changes that alternate between thrash and death metal tempos, on top of which comes the guitar solo done by NGH from Vortex of End.
As a link to the band’s past, the intro and the keyboards used on Nocturnal Deceit and Adversarial Triumph have been crafted by the former guitar player W.Cadaver. These discrete yet eerie keyboards provide a morbid vibe to the songs right when the tension reaches its highest peaks, so their use is perfectly justified.
From the superb cover, done by Nether Temple Design, to the music and the lyrics, this EP paints a sinister picture of a merciless attack against religion (christianity) and its symbols.
“Seven angel corpses were piled on the ground
Once majesties, now our Master’s Throne“.
This new EP has been a very pleasant surprise and even though the songs have been recorded a year ago, I truly hope Venefixion will not stop here and their second full length will be released somewhere in the near future.
VENEFIXION Line-Up:
R.Cadaver – vocals
K.Desecrator – lead/rhythm guitars/bass
T.Njodr – drums
Band contact:
http://venefixion.bandcamp.com/
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