Maniac Butcher
Epitaph
[Pussy God]


AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Sileny Reznik owns ye all!! These Czech bastards know how to churn out black metal that doesn't skimp on the "METAL" part of the equation, and this, their final album, is a fucking headbanging monster of a metal album. They take black metal totally over the top but somehow manage to refrain from being silly about it - probably because of the strong METAL ethic about it all. Take for instance the opening track "What's good for me, that good is - of my acting-sense, through my life for years" (yes, that's a real song title - one of the shorter titles on the album too....) - it starts right off with one of those superfast thrashing black metal riffs that only Darkthrone or Immortal could do right, and some SICK fucking croaks from Barbarud Hrom, but halfway through the song they cut to a midpaced CRUSHING headbanger of a riff that just makes you want to find the nearest poseur and put your fist through his sternum and eat his fucking heart right out of his chest while he watches. Black metal, yeah, but black METAL.

The bulk of the album is in the same headbanging black metal style, not far off from what they've done on all their albums since Lucan Antikrist (the earliest MB album I have at the moment...). The last track is a bit of a surprise as it's a slow, epic song (over 10 minutes) based on a trudging, sludgey riff that works like a hypnotist's pendulum as Barbarud vomits out his blasphemies, then the song shifts to some FAST riffing and more screaming and even lead guitar work. Another great bonus on this disc is the inclusion of a video for the opening song that you can play on your PC - it's awesome to see Barbarud and guitarist Vlad Blasphemer headbanging in caves and forests while swinging their guitar and axe - again, something that could be funny in anyone else's hands but seems deadly fucking serious when done by these Czech demons. It sucks that they've decided to call it a day, but what a fucking way to go out. HAIL MANIAC BUTCHER!!


© 2001 lord vic