Imperium Damnatum

I found this band completely on accident by surfing YouTube. They are one of those bands that play standard black metal without the angsty teenager accessibility or any of those additional subgenres that get other bands famous, so unfortunately, they aren't very well-known. However, despite the fact that this is one of many bands are playing the same brand of brutal black metal that Marduk has done for years, Asmodeus simply does it better.

My favorite part of this album is the drumming. It's your typical rapidfire blast beats and drum fills that you'd expect, but the timing and creativity of this drummer far surpasses most of the boring robotic drummers in black metal. They're very powerful, but do not overpower. The guitar is melodic and fast, with riffs that evoke a dark, majestic atmosphere. Every riff takes its own creative direction and give each song its own distinct feeling. The bass is very low and layered with the guitar; however, it is audible. It helps augment the darkness of each song throughout this album. Although the weakest part is the the run-of-the-mill black metal growls, they do not detract from the instrumentation.

One of my favorites is the first track, "Enthronement of the Sovereign," because of the intro riff: the guitars come in immediately with a very powerful, steady riff, and then the assault of percussion follows soon after. It builds a lot of momentum before coming out with the perfect first track to any black metal album, and the rest of the album does not disappoint. "Thorns" is another fast yet melodic song that captures your attention. "A Blaze at Dawn" is the outro track, and it is a very beautiful, short acoustic song; a perfect end to the album.

I would fully recommend this album, despite the fact that they haven't really written anything innovative. It's just plain good.

Fast, decent norsecore – I know that it’s used as a pejorative term, but I like norsecore. Asmodeus is one of the few copy bands that reach, and sometimes even exceed, the level of the band they follow. Apparently they are big fans of Dark Funeral; no other band is needed to be mentioned to get an idea about the music. In fact, DF is the band that should learn some things from Asmodeus!

Very fast and harmonic guitars dominate the album. They are quite melodic and very intense. When it comes to the atmosphere, it is darker than the aforementioned band. It’s not only aggressive but really has a black touch. One reason can be the vocals (see below.) And the last track, not counting the outro, is even a bit melancholic – a perfect way of ending this release.
Drums deserve a special mentioning, because in this regard Asmodeus fares better than DF. Technically Malthus is better than the old DF drummer Matte Modin, and his percussion is more interesting than Dominator’s. He is not only fast but varies with the themes, playing with fantasy – something you would not expect from a black metal band. While listening to this album it’s worth paying special attention to the drums. See especially Decretum Executionis, it’s highly innovative what is happening there.
The vocals are just okay, nothing special, though. Not that high-pitched as Caligula’s, nor is it ‘robotic’ as today’s is. It’s just ‘grim’ and fits the music well, quite typical black metal.

Though the music is generally fast, there are some slow parts including Servitus in Aeternitatem, which is good because it lets you have some rest. Thorns is the only track which is slow throughout, but it’s also a decent song. Even there are some acoustic guitars in Inciting the Rebellion and Withering Vengeance to prevent the release of becoming too monotonous. The outro is also an acoustic, a pleasure to hear.
The production is very clear and polished, the perfect sound for THIS (!) kind of black metal. Sometimes the cymbals get a bit fuzzy, but this is a really insignificant shortcoming and I only mention it because I’m trying hard to be critical and to find some mistake :-)

Maybe a bit I’m overrating this, since there is really nothing special or never-heard-before here. Yet I cannot help loving it: it’s the second best norsecore release I’ve ever heard in my life, after Marduk’s Panzer album. I like it better and better every time listening to it. Not only for norsecore-fans, but for everyone who likes brutal and melodic, yet not overly simple music. Especially a must-have if you are dissatisfied with the new Dark Funeral album.
By the way if you are interested in the lyrics, they are not THAT silly. Which doesn’t mean they are not thoughtless and stereotypical, but who cares about lyrics. Oh sorry, I almost have forgotten that black metal is about lyrics… -_-

Standout tracks: Decretum Executionis, On the Inflammatory March – but really, there are no fillers.