Diabolic Impious Evil

The third album from Polish death/black metallers Azarath is like a wicked legion of demons coming your way... fast and fucking hard! It is the audio equivalent of exactly that, and nothing less evil, believe me. No mercy given, really. Well, album's title and the cover do not lie, for once.

Vortexing and swarming riffs rip listeners in pieces. There are loads of malignant and savage chord structures and tremolo picking happening. Ominous open strings stuff and shrieking guitars are in, too. Sudden solo bits are performed, and often these actually sound like they were composed, not blurted out in a streak of total insanity. Thinking about sudden things, the compositions are at times highly mutable, and not into a direction that's expected from them. This can be, in a word, chaotic. One example is that when tempo gets even higher from already blasting-like-hell, it can get dizzying. But there are also some anthemic parts to strengthen the whole, especially towards the end. Well, these sound slow amongst all the blasting, even if they basically aren't!

The drums are absolutely busy, but still there are so much cymbal tricks and such happening. I wouldn't bet that they could perform this stuff exactly like this live... The bass guitar's rumble is audible in the mix, as the guitar tones are rather sharp. The vocals are beastly growling, and frequently there are more than one vocal track happening; for that demonic effect... While being extremely busy for a big part, the producers were able to make a balanced whole. Even more so, as the instruments were recorded in two studios by three engineers! Magnificent work.

'Diabolic Impious Evil' is like Krisiun (or Rebaelliun) at their most insane. As this contains those evil and otherworldly chord structures, this also reminds of Nile and Impiety. Maybe a bit of their countrymen Vader, which is more than expected.

Almost 33 minutes of aural hell is what Azarath presented with this platter. It's still varying enough, despite almost totally consisting of blasting tempos, plus entirely breathtaking performance-wise, and outright compelling. For fans of blasting death metal, this is a must! Vicious to the bone.

(Originally written for ArchaicMetallurgy.com)

For me Azarath is a synonymous with fury and savagery. Their death metal belongs to the most intense, uncompromising, blasphemous and bestial and I think that only very, very few bands are equal to them in that aspect. And even less are as good as Azarath. Every album in their discography is a fuckin beast and I worship them all, but of corpse I have my favourites. And "Diabolic Impious Evil" is probably the one album, which I like the most, although it’s a tough call if compared to such “Demon Seed”, “Praise the Beast” or other records. Azarath is a band, which never disappoints and the quality is always top notch. So, let’s leave the contest for the best album and enjoy this ferocious beast, which "Diabolic Impious Evil" is.

Basically "Diabolic Impious Evil" is nothing new, when compared to Azarath’s two previous albums. They still bring the death metal crusade with the name of Satan and use the same weapons. It is a furious, insanely vicious and bloodthirsty infernal blasting death metal. But the riffage is better and better, so are the ideas, arrangements... I feel like everything is more interesting and capturing, but without compromising or losing the madness and chaos, which characterized Azarath from the very beginning. Take the first song on this album for instance, "Whip the Whore", with its neckbreaking speed, but kind of memorable music. Great riffs, Bruno's vocals are even more beastly and the production is just perfect for my taste in this kind of death metal. It's powerful as hell, nasty and aggressive - so, it absolutely works amazingly when played loud.

If you like fast, blasting death metal, "Diabolic Impious Evil" will not disappoint you. If you like throat cutting, sharp riffs, insane brutality and satanic madness, this album is also perfect. There's a little bit of slower or mid paced patterns, I actually would like to hear few more of such killer riffs, which even have an Immolation mark on them. They sound killer, in my opinion, especially when they’re closer to "Dawn of Possession" than “Majesty and Decay”. With "Anti-Human, Anti-God" it’s a peak of my excitement and pure sadistic pleasure.

So, do you I need to add anything else? If you're not convinced yet, you'll never be, no matter how many more words I will write here. For me this is a masterpiece. Get yourself "Diabolic Impious Evil" or "Praise the Beast", or "Blasphemers' Maledictions", or any other Azarath album. Get them all, because this band fuckin rules.

Standout tracks: "Anti-Human, Anti-God", “Whip the Whore”
Verdict: 85/100

Here is your impiety, for sure. Azarath’s “Diabolic Impious Evil” is so neatly woven together with its sharpness, its brutal clarity, which is to speak nothing of the basically perfect mixing of the record, that one feels almost drawn inescapably to innumerable hells, each bickering to conform your lousy body into its own particular and malicious subject. “Whip the Whore” starts us off, a splurge of unremitting blasting and bestiality, urging Mary to “eat my cum,” as behind the vocals a network of haunting atmospherics travails: there is little mercy here.

The guitars do their fiendish fireworks of snappy tremolos, articulating between frantic passages of hard-faced death metal a la Morbid Angel, Behemoth, etc., as the drums roil on. A few breakdowns here and there are graciously introduced, but not enough to offset the gunfire extremities of the overall packaged sound. In every song, one cannot help to be preyed on by the murder this band has invented (expertly so).

While many other acts of this blackened-death nature seem to wear out three/four songs through, or the listener wears out, these songs presented herein are arranged intelligently enough so that there is little boredom to experience. It is a record to be played in its entirety and on repeat to a group of your closest friends. Or your most distant friends. It is bleak, dark, and, of course…diabolic, evil, and impious. I have not heard any other records prior to this one, so I will not claim that the band has blessed the genre with a sort of refreshment, but I won’t hesitate to say that at least on this record, you will not be left disappointed; left in the broadest axioms of darkness, for sure.

I stumbled across this band while reading the band page for Behemoth. Imagine my surprise when hearing the first few notes from this band. Don't get me wrong Behemoth is a well respected band, but honestly I've always regarded them as somewhat too commercial. Well, those commercial fears don't exist for Azarath.

What we have here folks is a death metal kid's wet dream. From the ominous beginning to the very end, this album oozes evil and chaos. I fucking love it!

Instead of giving a song by song review, I will succinctly describe the music as a whole.

To begin, if you (the reader) is anything like me, you want your music loud, heavy, and good. Honestly, a band can play technical riffs all day long but that doesn't mean their music isn't shit. The music needs to fit together well. Azarath does an amazing job balancing the different instruments and riffs.

I'll start by analyzing the guitar tone and arrangements. This is all you could ask for in death metal. The guitar tone is biting but still clear. Both guitars display an amazing amount of virtuosity but also restraint with the songs. There are no unnecessary solos which happens a lot in metal. Every piece of the song serves it purpose. I can't give these guitarists enough credit. Just listen, please listen to this album.

As far as the bass on the cd goes, it's noticeable and definitely adds to the sound. To be honest, the guitars kind of overpower the bass a little bit but that's ok. When the bass is audible you realize that the bass player has a lot of talent.

Drums on the album are also another highlight. I personally don't know much about playing drums but I listen to a lot of metal and I can tell this drummer knows his shit. Fills are always unpredictable. Thankfully, the drummer does not just blastbeat his way through the cd. Again, you have to hear it to believe it.

Vocals are the way that Death metal should be. Deep, growling, and furious. I swear that vocals can make or break a band sometimes. Personally, I'm sick of everyone that hates on death metal vocals. I prefer the power of a death metal growl to the shitty ass vocals that some not all metalcore bands have. Back to the point, the vocalist sounds like he is possessed. A definite plus.
The lyrics, well the lyrics, are pretty standard death metal fare. When you play evil music, you need evil lyrics. Azarath has plenty of that. Most of the lyrics deal with denouncing Christianity or God. With song titles like "Baptized in Sperm of the Antichrist" and "For Satan My Blood" do you really have to ask what the lyrics are like?

Finally, the music as a whole is unforgettable and well-crafted. One of the problems that I discover with some death metal bands is the lack of variety or diversity between songs. Fortunately, Azarath has the perfect amount of focus to keep the music varied but not discontinuous. The continuity of the cd is another thing that amazes me. Most songs last around three to four minutes but a few are only two minutes or so. Rest assured, the entire cd has excellent flow. There are no "boring" parts, just plain good music.

Let me close by emphasizing how important this cd is to pretty much any metal fanatic's collection. I am not just one of those over-exuberant metal newbies who listen to Slipknot on repeat all day (I will admit I did like Slipknot at one time before I realized how atrocious their band image and music are). But see? I admitted that my musical tastes grew. We all got to start somewhere. Take it from me. If you give this band a chance, I promise you that you will not be disappointed.

This is the soundtrack to mankind’s descending into hell and Satan’s ascending, setting the world aflame. I can almost imagine the blood pouring down from the sky, as the sun turns black. ‘Cause let me tell you; bloody hell, this is one dark, satanic album.

The heavy, pummelling sound unwraps a thunderstorm of raging guitars, mangling bass, blasting drums and wicked growls, spewing forth utter darkness. Deicide is a band that easily comes to mind for comparison, which means brutal-as-hell, slick death metal, and by damn talented musicians I might add. But Azarath has a rougher edge than previously mentioned act. And well, did I mention Satanism. Just take a look at the track titles and tell me what you think. I have nothing else to say, this is just bloody brutal. Whip the fucking whore!

Originally written for www.mylastchapter.net

I rarely write reviews, except when I deem it extremely important. In most cases, it's because a band that deserves attention isn't getting enough. That seems to be the life story of Azarath so far... at least in the States.

Everyone is familiar with drummer Inferno's insanely stylistic and brutal assault from his black drum throne. He almost single handedly helped usher in Behemoth's new technial death metal era when he join for Pandaemonic Incantations back at the turn of the new century. Since that time Behemoth has enjoyed immense popularity and fanfare as a result of their signing with Century Media and their extensive touring with major acts across the US and Canada.

All the while, however, drummer Inferno has been busy at work on another project. Something even more diabolical, more raw, more hateful. A band whose vociferous bile spews forth from their sound so readily as to make one believe that, in a former life, these guys may have been involved in the black metal scene.

With the demise of Decapitated (even before the bus accident- Organic Hallucinosis was closer to a Machine Head or Meshuggah release than it was to their previous work) and Yattering (whose former guitarist is now a member of Azarath) and Nergal's constant touring and whoring for the media, Azarath stand victorious at the top of the remaining true Brutal Death Metal acts in Poland.

Their previous releases, Demon Seed and Infernal Blasting, were both excercises in the fiercest brutality. Their new release, Diabolic Impious Evil is an step even further ahead and to the left, with the pure satanic rage taking control early in the album.

Tracks like Anti-Human, Anti-God remind listeners why Azarath is such a powerful act- fierce riffs, though catchy, grind your face into the pavement while Inferno's drumming has the power and precision of a guided missile, but even more fun. It's so fierce and fast, in fact, that at first listen one might mistake Azarath for a hypergrind band if you ignore the more complicated riffing and chord progressions.

For Satan My Blood, another of the stand out tracks on this album, clocks in at just under two minutes. These are some of the most intense two minutes in death metal, incredibly blast beats, face shredding riffs and an evil goat chant in the background that sounds like hell itself has been forced taint first through your speakers.

All in all, this is an absolutely soul crushing release, by far Azarath's most evil and impowering to date. Long live the new Kings of Polish Death.

For those who are not familiar with Azarath, they are what you could call an all-star band with members from various death and black metal outfits like Behemoth, Damnation, Yattering and Thunderbolt. Make no mistake though. The Azarath collective are as serious about their business as they can be and I'm about to review their latest offering.


Once the eerie guitar intro enters your ears you know that you're in for one hellish ride. Pretty soon it's confirmed as you get hit by a ferocious whirlwind of riffs and drumbeats. Enter "Diabolic Impious Evil", a different, more versatile beast than its' predecessor.


Where "Infernal Blasting" was, as the name indicates, a seemingly neverending blastfest, this is a more varied experience. Inferno from Behemoth is a great drummer and does here a tremendous job. His blastbeats are more blistering than ever before but he also throws in a lot of tempo-changes and tops it with tasteful fills.

Trufel of Yattering fame is back on guitar but as second guitarist Bart from Damnation has replaced founding member D. The axemen have outdone themselves this time, creating a package of great riffs that blend the brutality of death metal and the evil atmosphere of black metal perfectly into one unholy fusion. The leads are also amazing to hear in all their chaotic glory.

Bruno plays the bass just like in his other band Damnation. This isn't the kind of music where you search for memorable basslines because it's most of the time completely lost in the guitar maelstrom. What is fully audible however are his vocals and this is where he truly shines. Bruno unleashes a very aggressive and harsh growl that makes him sound pretty much demonic when screaming out satanic lyrics along with the music.


The production is clear but at the same time raw and dirty, making the album sound organic and not like an "Abyss production". Also, the mixing is just great. No aspect of the music is draining out another, which sometimes can be a problem with modern music of the more extreme calibre. Not here.


Bands like Belphegor and God Dethroned should shut up, listen and learn from Azarath, because this is how real blackened death metal is done. "Diabolic Impious Evil" is Azarath's finest effort to date and I will go as far as saying that it's the best album I've ever heard in the subgenre blackened death. There is no excuse for not owning this piece if you're into brutal music, period.


Highlights: Whip the Whore, Baptized in Sperm of the Antichrist, Anti-Human, Anti-God, Angels' Assassins