(drums), are Billy Messiah (vocals), Anders Odden (guitars) and Stu Manx (bass). This foursome has worked together in a creative collective for some time and their friendships go back to the beginnings of MAYHEM and the Norwegian Black Metal scene.
"Pneuma" starts off strong and brings the expertise of instrumentation and right away shows us that this band works as a unit and it only gets better. Every note is well thought out and there is something of a concept here; the story given in the spoken word portion of “Gal.Lu” regards the demon hordes.
The standout track for me is “Descend” followed closely by “Lust” and “My Pain”. More than once Manheim has given interviews that outlines the thought processes for the album and that much of the material is biographic; it certainly gives the material depth. Pain, destruction, inner torment and personal recognition of that torment are certainly not new topics, but this is a kick in the gut and it lingers.
The video for “It Burns” created an atmosphere of torment and the visual pain shown through the course of the video was well handled. "Rise" showcases Messiah’s vocals and the extreme ferocity in which he whips himself into a frenzy.
Blasphemy, occult and satanic imagery is a given; the distrust and personal destruction of organized religion goes deeper in the title track “The Gospel” and continues into “Bringer of Salt”. Man’s capitulation to Christianity and community is always something we can expect to hear from black metal bands, but this song and it’s visceral response to such is tumultuous.
Every song on this album is good. There are a few that are brilliant; something we would expect from pioneers of the genre. This dedication to their craft is evident in the songs that round out the album; "Tomb" and "Pneuma II". You will need to listen to these songs more than once to dive into the material and truly appreciate what has happened here.
I have said before that black metal is an acquired taste and it's not for everyone. You must go deeper than the surface or you will miss some gems. This is the band’s second album and their accension to greatness continues. The first record, Lex Amentiae, is outstanding, but this is phenomenal, and I have had it in heavy rotation in my listening queue.
If you have not heard it, do not let the fact that it is black metal dissuade you. It is raw, pure, heavy power and will appeal to a variety of metalheads. I would give it a five out of five stars even if Manheim and Messiah had not both been in iterations of MAYHEM.
5.0 Out Of 5.0
