The Pitch: UK blackened death and black metal from The Order Of Apollyon featuring members of Aosoth, Temple Of Baal, Hell Militia and Merrimack. Via Agonia Records.
What I Like: Deliciously evil and utterly overpowering, Moriah is another welcome addition to the pantheon of black and death metal. The album is littered with blastbeats and brutish, Behemoth-y death growls that relentlessly pummel the listener; but also a cascade of thoughtful, melodic guitar harmonies. These layered tremolos are quite catchy despite the pernicious aesthetic, which is particularly impressive given the method's common penchant for repetetion. Quite to the contrary, The Order Of Apollyon manage to deliver a set of tracks that, while consistent in style, all manage to have their own unique sound and emotional gravitas. It's a powerful album on par wtih the likes of Cult of Fire and Mgla.
Critiques: Not hearing a lot of new ideas here: just old ideas done very well.
The Verdict: I'm this close to pushing a "hellfire black metal" subgenre tag given the number of bands taking this very specific approach and how well that descriptor seems to perfectly capture it. In any case, Moriah serves as a chief example of why I love this sound, and The Order Of Apollyon are going to burn you to the f#$king ground.
Flight's Fav's: The Lies Of Moriah, Rites Of The Immolator, Grey Father
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with others to help us grow. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.