Countess
Ad Maiorem Sathanae Gloriam
[Nazgul's Eyrie]


"A.M.S.G" is without a doubt all Orlok's. Those of us who heard the "The Wrath of Satan's Whore" demo got a taste of this new style, and either loved it or hated it. The raging, raw, nasty black metal tracks are still here, yes. Fuck, one listen to "The Priest Must Die" makes this clear! There's another side to "A.M.S.G" though, one that turned numerous people off. And those were the ballads.

One of the tracks in question, namely the one that appeared on the above-mentioned demo, scared a lot of people off. It truly is a ballad, a perverse ballad, but still a ballad. Very dark, slow, enjoyable. "Blood on my Lips" is the exact opposite, mostly because of the lyrics, and ends up sounding silly.

Orlok takes it easy with the vocals here as well, which some people didn't enjoy. He still has that deep, Burzum style scream going, but there's also a good deal of lighter "yelling" and simple "chanting". "A.M.S.G" is an experimental album, with a dark and equally comfortless feel to it. I've never had the chance to see someone recommend this album, so here's a first: this is a worthy investment if you don't mind taking a chance on some of my reviews. Especially with tracks such as "The Priest Must Die", "The Wrath of Satan's Whore", and the lengthy title track.

Despite being a cliché, it's true that you HAVE to either love or hate Countess. Especially with this album, there doesn't seem to be anyone sitting in the middle with an opinion. A Saint Vitus cover as a bonus: but did Scott Reagers really co-write that song? I thought someone else was behind "Born too Late".


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