INQUISITION

Time to face facts; INQUISITION is one of the best black metal bands on the planet and makes great albums with shocking consistency. It is as simple as that. Last year's Hells Headbangers reissue of "Into The Infernal Regions Of The Ancient Cult" served as a wakeup call to those folks that had let INQUISITION slip under their radar and in the process miss album after album of black metal excellence. These are albums of sometimes deathly, sometimes thrashy and always, smartly arranged black metal that grooves, blasts, and crushes when not hypnotizing with possessed patterns or sinister mantras that stick to the ribs and stain the psyche. A surprising command of melody is present as well, accentuated by the occasional acoustic/folk flourish. The supreme mastermind behind this glorious racket is multi-instrumentalist/composer Dagon whose love-'em-or hate-'em, croak (more like tracheotomy-tube) vocals are a stamp of distinction. And so the question is whether the highly anticipated "Ominous Doctrines Of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" continues that tradition of excellence. You're goddamned right it does!

The distinct mix of compositional characteristics noted above is present on "Ominous Doctrines…" in spades, yet the sound is anything by worn out and tired. Rather, this one comes with an extra shot of adrenaline and reinforced steel in the song structures. Joined by the powerful drumming of Incubus (specifically credited with "pagan war drums"),Dagon presents 10 tracks — including a brief guitar interlude called "Conjuration" that reappears at the end of "Upon The Fire Winged Demon" — that put an increased emphasis on the power of the riff, both across the album and within individual tracks. In fact, the sheer number of great riff, often bolstered by effective counterpoints, is stunning. That's not to say that the disc doesn't include a few forays into ice cold entrancement (e.g. the catchy acoustic segments in "Astral Path To Supreme Majesties"),only that "Ominous Doctrines…" will be remembered most as a towering inferno of riffs.

"Conjuration" notwithstanding, one can point to any song on the album as a definitive INQUISITION cut for its compositional strength. It could be the mid-tempo title track that is peculiar, yet classy in its patterning and melody-based main riff. It could also be any number of instances where tempos shift without seam from blasting speed to mid-tempo groove and in each and every case the experience is an attention-grabber. The guitar work is memorable and crafted with an attention to detail that infuses even the most pummeling sections with a degree of intricacy that cannot be ignored.

If forced to choose a single track as a highlight, it would probably be "Upon the Fire Winged Demon" for a chilling chorus that is both catchy and eerily hypnotic, as Dagon croaks, "Black are the heavens of the trinity / Demons of fire I speak to Thee / Forces of Satan carry me / Fire winged demon flies away free". But choosing that track as a highlight would be steering attention away from "Desolate Funeral Chant", its morbid, string-bent riff and haunting cadence classic INQUISITION as well. It is also one of a handful of songs on which Dagon's inflectional vocal shifts add color to the composition and, in this case, a different kind of bleakness. As you might have surmised, compelling arguments can be made in support of just about any song as the standout.

Overall, "Ominous Doctrines Of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" comes across in a more concentrated, riff-centric manner than previous works, while retaining that indefinable mystical INQUISITION aura. INQUISITION doesn't so much color outside the BM lines as develop its own unique scheme within them. This is a not a reinvention; it is a reassertion of dominance.