This is the second CD released by the most (in)famous band from the BLACK LEGIONS circle. It was released after the leaving of Willy (aka Meyna'ch - R.I.P.-), when Mordred thought it was time to show the world what the invasion of the "true" scene by many kiddies had generated. This "album" consists in 5 tracks from 1993, which were supposed to appear on a MCD on a Colombian label (this MCD was finally never released) and 2 tracks recorded with a drum-machine in 1996, just after the first CD, which would be the latest recordings ever with Meynac'h. The first 5 songs are really apocalyptic, with a very "underground" production (i.e. quite a bad sound) as they were recorded on a 4-tx, and they show the sickest face of MÜTIILATION. The drum parts are horrible, one would say the drummer (is it Kriss, the guy who played drums on the band's 3rd and 4th demos ?) never used a drum kit before, guitar parts are approximative, the pace is EXTREMELY slow... But these songs obsess you, I would say this is the perfect soundtrack if you want to make a grave desecration or to torture someone, it's a kind of Black Metal version of ABRUPTUM in a way. The 3rd and 5th track ("Possessed and immortal" & "Travels to sadness, hate and depression") are probably the best and the title of the 5th one perfectly fits to the music : if anyone feels like suiciding, this is the best music he has to listen to if he really wants to find some motivation in doing so... These songs really show you the darkest side of Black Metal, the necro screams seem to come from an open tomb and lead you into a kingdom of night and darkness, whereas the depressive guitar and drum parts invite you to take this razor blade near you and open your wrists... Really sick and dark, I guess many people CAN NOT understand the meaning of such terribly sorrowful and hateful hymns. And this is a shame Mordred added these last two tracks from 96 at the end of the CD, they completely ruin that deep atmosphere created throughout the first tracks. They are a kind of pathetic MUTIILATION version of some DARK FUNERAL songs, with a horrible sound of the drum machine, uninterseting riffs and ugly vocals ! They shown the future of MUTIILATION, which is not as glorious as their past, unfortunately ! The last track is the French version for "Holocaust in the mourning dawn", a former demo track which was called "Infernal holocaust in the mourning dawn" when it appeared on the band's 3rd demo, "Satanist Styrken", and the less one could say is that the original version was much better...

The last words of this review will be Mordred's ones :

"Our world is dead now...
Black Metal is dead and Meyna'ch - the creature you used to consider as the root of all Evil, of all your pains and of the downfall of "straight well thinking Black metal scene" - has gone too. I'm a part responsible of his death. The history has shown that narrow little beings have very well destroyed the true black metal scene, and they didn't need me to help them. So, what the use to go on ? Though, here's a piece of the "Evil, the Gestalt of abomination" album which should have been out in late 1993 on a Colombian wankers' shit label, a rough 4-tx recorded tape which will only be appreciated by old Black Metal freaks. The other songs are the following of the "Vampires..." album, just before the end, the irreversible end... None of these pieces has the pretention to give a new breath to Black Metal, it's just a refelction of our dark past, remains of a ruined, dead, cursed soul and also another reason for you to hate me."

7 / 10

© 2003 lord pesten