Conquering Purity (Litaniæ ex Damnatorum Regno)

I got to know Black Flame after their second demo, Orgiastic Funeral, was released. Luckily the comparison to Mortuary Drape did not mean the similar style and sound, because Black Flame has concentrated on their own thing, instead of copying others. I still think that Orgiastic Funeral is an excellent work, and some tracks even the best band has ever written.

Conquering Purity stands out from the previous releases in one important part which is failed in a way or other earlier; the sound of the album is really good. Even if the sound was not that bad on the self-financed releases, the thin sound surely killed some edge from the songs at times. The difference is clear when comparing First Litany ov Eternal Nothingness version on the new album to the version which is found on The Third revelation self-financed album. Much tighter and deeper sound on Conquering Purity is almost the only difference, actually.

Black Flame is still mix of black and death metal, with sometimes furious speed. Slower parts remind a bit of Shining and bands like that, but this similarity does not sound too distracting. Some other things, however, distract me. The drumming of M:A Fog, who is also playing in e.g. Disiplin and Glorior Belli by the way, sound strange at times. The same thing was heard also on the earlier releases, so maybe this is intentional choice with the sounds. The overall feeling is unfortunately quite much the same as with couple of earlier releases. There are no real hooks in the album. Not too many at least. And the lack of them actually reduces the points here quite much. With the better, more tighter sound, the step is taken into right direction. But on the other hand, tricks and somewhat surprising arrangements from the first demo releases are missing on the newer stuff. Even if the band is going to the direction it has chosen themselves, I would expect more daring and more original decisions. Conquering Purity has, certainly, song called Totalitarian Satanic Monolith which is made by Abigor guy Peter Kubik. Unfortunately this fact is not heard unless it was written in the booklet. After saying all this, I still say Black Flame is surely worth checking, and Conquering Purity a good album to start with, especially if you have not heard them before.