DEIPHAGO

Hands down the most primal fucking release I've encountered in ages, DEIPHAGO's "Filipino Antichrist" ignores silly shit like melody, production and structure and instead attempts to violently behead those brave enough to listen to its eleven bestial tracks. Aside from the sampled intro and outro tracks, "Filipino Antichrist" is relentless in its assault. Chaos reigns supreme and Satan himself jumps in the pit as abrasive guitars collide with rapid-fire drums in a way that's nearly indecipherable, yet strangely addictive. I don't know what it is about this disc. Maybe it's the notion that this is the sonic equivalent to the world's fiery end, or maybe it's the way that this trio uses everything we've ever learned about music as hellhound fodder, but something about "Filipino Antichrist" makes resistance futile. Chalk it up to demonic possession, I suppose.

Though his four-stringer is all but inaudible in the mix, bassist/vocalist Voltaire 666 is the venom that poisons the soul of anyone within earshot. There are very few human qualities about Voltaire's demonic voice, though he does manage to squeeze in a few discernable moments here and there, most notably on the cover of SARCOFAGO's "Hate". Otherwise, the dude delivers the demented and vehement voice of hell itself. His ghost-like whispering on "Subliminal Satan" serves as one of the albums most chilling moments.

I need to take a moment to clarify something. When I mentioned that the mix featured little to no bass (save for the solo that starts off the title track),I think mix might not have been the right word. There really is no 'mix,' per say, on this album; just three musicians using pain-inducing volume to pledge their allegiance to the unholy one. The vocals are bumped up a notch or two, but the guitars and drums spend a majority of the album's 29 minutes locked in a chaotic battle to the death. Don't dive into this looking for riffs or hooks to latch onto; nothing but utter fucking mayhem and it works incredibly well. I'm typically a little turned off by a production this raw, but DEIPHAGO managed to grab me here. It's the intensity and power behind the maelstrom that makes "Filipino Antichrist" such a charmer. Fans of early BEHERIT, IMPALED NAZARENE and SARCOFAGO, or those of you who just hate everything under the sun, would be wise to add this one to your collection.