Archgoat – The Luciferian Crown. (Debemur Morti Productions. 2018).

Archgoat – The Luciferian Crown. (Debemur Morti Productions. 2018).

As soon as you start listening to the latest effort by the Finnish maniacs of Archgoat the forces of Darkness, Death, and Desolation all come pouring out of the speakers, filling your mind with a heady, toxic brew from the depths of Erebus. The album is full of what one expects from Archgoat, being a meaty slab of primitive, bestial Black Metal that rages like a rutting ungulate. Filthy riffs come crashing hammering down, the putrid, raw guitar tone smashing your face in. The introduction, titled Intrantation, once again is different to that found on the Angelcunt: Tales of Desecration MLP and the first two albums, being more unique but no less useful in setting the mood for the oncoming Hellish onslaught. Whilst most of the songs are of the standard Archgoat fair, the song Darkness has Returned is an interesting deviation from the norm which seems to mix the more usual elements of Archgoat with a stronger Bathory influence. Starting with a kick-ass, thrashier riff and generally possessing a somewhat punkier sound than the rest of the songs, it will get you into a headbanging frenzy. Based on the name and the thrashier riff, reminiscent of material from Bathory or The Return…, I would take a wild stab in the dark and guess that this is a deliberate tribute to the mighty Quorthon. Either way, it adds a different flavour to the proceedings without breaking the demonic atmosphere of the album. The rest of the album continues in a similar way to their previous efforts and especially regarding The Apocalyptic Triumphator, with the song The Obsidian Flame (From My Depths) being a perfect example. A crushing mid-paced song, it hypnotises the listener with its heavy, ritualistic riffs that brim with malevolence. Beneath the guitars are keyboards that are masterfully used to add to the entrancing, otherworldly feel of the song. This song and the previous one, Star of Darkness and Abyss, also feature quite prominently the synthesized choir sound that seems to be used to a greater degree than it has been on previous releases. The production is somewhat cleaner than it used to be, but it doesn’t harm the putrid riffs and evil sound that the band vomits forth. A strong addition to the Archgoat back catalogue, it is worth purchasing. 8.75/10.