Belphegor – The Devils
Release Date: 29th July 2022
Label: Nuclear Blast
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal.
FFO: 1349, Behemoth, Hate Eternal.
Review By: Andy Spoon
With their twelfth studio album, death metal veterans Belphegor are set to release The Devils on July 8th worldwide on Nuclear Blast Records. Seeking to blend German and English vocals, they offer their signature sound that combines the black metal harmonic influence with the rage and fury of the death metal in which Belphegor has been so prolific since its inception. As one of the founding projects bringing blackened death to the surface of the mainstream extreme metal scene, Belphegor’s most recent offering is a blasphemous, violent, raucous, yet thoughtful and entertaining LP that proves that these boys still wield the reigns for the entire genre.
Right off the bat, the album takes charge with a title track, The Devils, that mixes staccato suspended chords over speedy double bass. Vocalist/guitarist Helmuth’s vocals vary between all three main ranges (mid, low, high) while the eponymous track dances back and forth between fast-paced and half time moments (also demonstrated in Glorifizierung des Teufels), beautifully transitioning each time to aid the dynamic flow between blackened and death-inspired segments. It’s a track that I instantly wanted to play over again, something that I have found somewhat rare in recent years, always hoping to continue on.
There are layers and layers to each track which drive the listener into questions like “wait, what that part again?”, never giving the audience the chance to allow the album to be enjoyed just once. I was extremely-impressed with Belphegor’s ability to so-expertly blend the two genres with such gusto and precision. The layers of recordings pervade each track, building depth that is murky, but also extremely transparent, a heavy metal oxymoron, leaving the listener absolutely spellbound, thinking “how the hell did they manage for that to sound so good while being so filthy?”, a nod to recording and production engineer Jens Bogren.
The album takes a turn into a more melodic and grim facade with Virtus Asinaria-Prayer, a track which starts on a highly-subdued 4/4 signature, dotted with tubular bells and whole notes. Once the vocals start, Helmuth’s high scream incantations are backed by a chorus of voices in melody. It’s a major departure from the bedlam which had preceded it, but brings a heretical moodiness that invokes the signature Belphegor blasphemic spirit. Frankly, it’s one of the lower points on the album, but still well-executed. It forms a callback to the early Belphegor sound, which is definitely welcome, but probably not their most exciting material. I’m not entirely certain why Belphegor chose this particular track as their first single. I would have personally chosen The Devils, which is clearly the most prolific track on the (sic) album.
The speed kicks back up on Ritus Incendium Diabolus and Kingdom of Cold Flesh, before going back to a slow, chanting, anti-climax which closes the album’s main content. It is reminiscent of Behemoth’s mixture of the tribal/cinematic slow and melodic interlude tracks. The “true” close of the album is a bonus track, Blackest Sabbath 1997, a six-minute assault that is packed full of massive energy and scalding pace and energy. You might remember the video for this track being released in 2021, so it’s only suitable to have it included on The Devils, as it fits with the motif extremely-well.
I believe Belphegor has completely hit the mark with The Devils, reminding all listeners that their heathen, blasphemous style is well-constructed, going all the way back to 1991. In essence, it’s another absolute banger from one of the bands who created blackened death metal. Is it an all-time classic? Only time will tell, but I sincerely think that Belphegor has managed to brilliantly stay relevant after all these years, rarely disappointing; and The Devils is absolutely no exception to that pattern of excellence. When you set the bar as high as these guys have, it’s tough to maintain that same level of relevance. Take note, because this is how you do it. 
(4 / 5)
