Vampires of Black Imperial Blood

French black metal is very influential and infamous within the black metal genre. They had a very strong and distinctive rawness to them that not many bands were doing at the time. If you think bands like Bruzum, Darkthrone, and Gorgoroth are raw you haven’t heard any of the early French black metal bands. Many French bands would be early pioneers of the style that is known as raw black metal. Essentially carrying out the traditional style of black metal, but instead, it just suffocates you in pure raw production making the early Norwegian scene sound clean. And at the circle of this, you had the LLN. Also known as the The Black Legions (Les Légions Noires). They are hands down the most well-known collection of French black metal bands. These guys were focused on creating an absolutely dismal and raw take on black metal that is still worshipped. And at the forefront you had Mutiilation. The first one in the LLN to put out a full-length, and easily the best band out of the LLN in my eyes.

Now on to the actual album itself. This album screams melancholy and utter filth. This is almost 60 minutes of pure primitive black metal done in the rawest of ways. If you are a casual or beginner in black metal, then nine times out of ten you won’t like this on the first listen. And that’s the point of this album. It’s meant to cripple your ears, and it’s meant to make you hate it. This is not an album or band many people enjoy. It’s an acquired taste that might take multiple listens in order to fully grasp this record.

However, I wasn’t like that. Right from the start I immediately fell in love with its rawness and simplicity. It was unlike anything I heard from black metal at the time. I was already obsessed with bands like Marduk, Gorgoroth, Darkthrone, and every other benchmark black metal band. But when I first heard this album it blew me away. It took things to a much more profound and raw sound that sounded absolutely blistering.

On to the music. In the early days of Mutiilation, there were two individuals running the show before it became a solo project. One of those members was the bass player Mordred. Not much is known about this man but I always remember his face and how goofy he looked on the album cover and in other photos. He also had a very creepy feel in those photos as well. Regardless his bass playing is raw and vicious. The bass is surprisingly well-heard from time to time in this album. Considering just how ungodly raw everything is, the bass has its moments to shine. Especially in one of the highlights “Ravens of My Funeral”

The other member and the sole remaining member of this band is of course Meyhna’ch. He plays drums, vocals, and guitars on this album. And his work is nothing short of incredible. The songwriting, riffs, and tormented vocals are extraordinary. While everything is extremely simplistic and bare-bones he still makes things interesting and memorable. There’s a good amount of tempo changes as well so it’s not just blast beats 24/7. One of my favorite examples is in the song “Eternal Empire of Majesty Death”. This song is filled with slow and creepy passages. The slow and doomy tremolos sound really fucking ominous and weird I always feel dread when I hear them. It complements the double bass really well. There’s also a lot of energy and passion to be found here that ups the music.

Things may get sloppy or inconsistent but it’s the human inconsistencies that make this album all the more pure. Nothing is edited out, nothing is overly polished or produced. This is the realest thing you could get in black metal. And that’s why I love it. It doesn’t sound like some fucking robot or lacking in the energy department. Nowadays you can edit out every single little flaw in music. Which makes a lot of modern metal sound like fucking dog shit. And to go even further this album is so raw and minimalistic. In the song “Under Ardailles Night” there’s a profound amount of static in the background for a majority of the song.

Let’s get to the guitars now. They make up a major part of the dominating force in this album. And for good reason. This album is littered with vampiric tremolos and diverse tempo changes. The riffs can be slow and creepy, and in another section, it can be quite intense and barbaric. The repetitive nature is there and profound like in most black metal. But it’s not overly repetitive. There’s a lot of variation between riffs and sections. Adding to that overall evil and creepy atmosphere. If there was an album that I could use to describe vampires, specifically the film Nosferatu. It would be this album.

The drums are good and very chaotic. And the sloppiness makes it even more chaotic. There are a lot of switch-ups and fast blast beats to be found here. Along with some slower and more double bass sections. The drums are also very loud in the mix. The production of this album is iconic for being extremely raw. Yet you can hear everything decently well. So it’s a good raw production that makes the album sound unique and instantly memorable. I also find it funny that all the songs have real drums except for “Born Under the Master's Spell”

This album also has a more melancholic tone to it. Making Mutiilation a great influence when it comes to DSBM. It’s not a DSBM album by any means. But it is one of those first albums that began flirting with these miserable lyrics and depressive atmospheres. A strong example is the song “Ravens of My Funeral”. For the most part, it’s a more mid-paced song. But its lyrics and vocals make it all the more depressing.

My favorite aspect of this album is Meyhna’ch’s vocals. They are these extremely high-pitched shrieks and miserable wails. He also adds in some whispers and lower growls every now and then. His lyrics are also vampire and Transylvania-obsessed. It’s not just satan 24/7. Instead, you get lyrics about despair, vampires, and Transylvania. Overall this is a perfect example of black metal vocals done right.

When it comes to favorite songs it easily goes to the opening song “Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past”. It’s the most memorable song and the longest one clocking in at 10 minutes. It opens up with these distinct open-note guitar parts that I recognize each time I hear it. It also has the most distinctive riffs and drums across the whole album. If I’m not in the mood to listen to this album in its entirety, I always come back to this track.

In conclusion, this is one of my favorite black metal albums EVER. This has everything I love about black metal. The emotion, the rawness, and the pure hellish riffs. This is not the rawest Mutiilation would get by any means. But this is where the songwriting and music is at its peak. If you’re looking for a raw black metal band with flawless discography Mutiilation is the band to go for. If you want a really dismal and raw feel to your black metal. Listen to this immediately. A perfect album in my eyes.

I really love Norwegian black metal, but I've got to say that the French do take some beating when it comes to the most unholy of metal genres. The list of fantastic French black metal albums keeps expanding and the latest to cross my path is Mütiilation's 1995 debut, Vampires of Black Imperial Blood. I can't in all honesty say why it's taken me so long to take the plunge with this, but I'm here now, so it's all good.

Anyway, Mütiilation were a member of the infamous Les Légions Noires and were the brainchild of Meyhna'ch (b. William Roussell) who would have been only about 18 when these tracks were laid down and I guess it takes the cockiness of youth to release an album that is such a "fuck you!" to pretty much everybody as a debut. This youthful lack of fucks-to-give is what black metal's second wave was built upon though, I guess. This is a boss-level second wave album and will most definitely not appeal to everyone. Its lo-fi, stripped down production will put an enormous amount of people off, I suspect, but for those who love this kind of nekro shit, then they will be in black metal nirvana. When the excess flesh is stripped away what we are left with is the beating heart of, for want of a better expression, true black metal. Without decent production, layered synths, folksy interludes and clean sung parts what becomes important is what really matters when black metal is distilled down to it's most essential elements - the riffs, the blastbeats and the harsh vocals and Mütiilation deliver these in spades. Meyhna'ch is quoted in the booklet to my version saying in September '94 "Today, black metal seems to be dead, trendies has (sic) taken everything in hands... and Black Imperial Blood is one fist in their pigfaces". So I think you can see exactly where this album is coming from and what it aims to achieve.

It must be said thet despite having such a raw, visceral sound what does shine through is Meyhna'ch's uncanny ear for a memorable riff such as those on Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past and Ravens of My Funeral to name but two. There are some nice pace changes throughout with several gloomy, depressed-sounding slower sections contrasting the brutality of the blasting, the track Eternal Empire of Majesty Death being a great example. Believe me though, when the blasting hits, it hits hard and should push the blood pressure of any metal maniac up to hypertensive levels. Meyhna'ch's vocal delivery is of the croaking style rather than shrill shrieking, but still gives me a sore throat just listening to him, such is the rawness of the delivery.

OK, there is some variation in the sound of the tracks, testament to the fact they were recorded at different times with four of the eight being from the previous year's Black Imperial Blood (Travel) demo but with such lo-fi production this doesn't really make a whole heap of difference. If you are into the rawer and more visceral side of black metal then Vampires of Black Imperial Blood is an absolutely essential release.

"Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" is quintessential black metal. It sounds like the direction Darkthrone could have taken after "A Blaze in the Northern Sky", with remnant death metal elements, complex songs, tempo changes and chunky riffs. Imagine what the Norwegian band would have sounded like if they had retained those song structures on their third and fourth albums (instead of following their minimalist instincts).

"Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past" is the best example; a ten-minute masterpiece comparable with "Kathaarian Life Code" in scope. It offers so many melodic and progressive ideas, framing them in the most horrible, discomforting way. Listen to the section that begins after the five-minute mark, where the out-of-tune guitar creates an ancient, rickety, hollow sound. It is the perfect encapsulation of the nasty-yet-majestic black metal ethos. "Ravens of My Funeral" is the second highlight, an extended, varied composition with eerie percussive repetitions in the middle and an open 'sonic vista' near the end (like Darkthrone in their prime).

Other songs contain standout sections. I love how the opening of "Eternal Empire of Majesty Death" switches from blasting into a ghoulish slow section, and then into a Bathory inspired stomp. "Under Ardailles Night" has an acoustic guitar twanging over the main melody, surely a homage to Darkthrone's "In the Shadow of the Horns". These touches indicate how well Mütiilation knew their craft and understood black metal composition and aesthetics. The band is able to create a melancholic feel without delving into melodramatic doom or gothic metal cliches, an impressive feat.

The album is not perfect. The second half is weaker than the first. A song like “Transylvania” gets a little too close to Darkthrone for comfort, whilst the dull “Tears of a Melancholic Vampire" ends the album with a whimper rather than with a bang. The album feels too long at 50+ minutes, which is at least ten minutes longer than any of Darkthrone's black metal classics. These flaws prevent "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" from sounding like a cohesive masterwork, though Mütiilation achieved transcendence on several occasions, granting them immortality.

If there's one black metal band that needs more attention, it's Mütiilation. Mütiilation was part of an infamous group called the Black Legions (or Les Légions Noires as they're also called), and they were basically a competitor to the exploding black metal scene in Norway at the time. While the early demos were decent, it was "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" in 1995 that got Mütiilation the following it has. Not only does this album raise the bar for French black metal, it also shows off how talented Mütiilation was in providing a dark, vampiric atmosphere.

One of the strongest elements on this album is the instruments. Mütiilation would take in some inspiration from various Norwegian black metal bands to create their own sound, and boy does it show. The guitars play a diverse amount of riffs that range from slow and emotional to fast and chaotic. The drums also beat in fast patterns that set in the crazed atmosphere for the tracks. The bass, while kinda underwhelming, still follow along the guitars okay and set a good foundation for a lot of the tracks. One of my favorite instrumentals would have to go to "Ravens of My Funeral". The guitar riffs have a certain haunting tone in them that execute an amazing atmosphere of coldness and horror. The production on that track is exceptionally excellent, as the raw and unfiltered sound only enhances the creepy tone. Other great instrumentals would be in "Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past", "Transylvania", and "Tears of a Melancholic Vampire". The instruments on this album are fantastic, and remain some of Mütiilation's best works to date.

But if the instruments didn't gave you the creeps, then maybe the vocals will. Meyhna'ch does the vocals here, and his voice sounds terrifying. The vocals mainly involve a lot of growling with some whining and shrieks of terror. It sounds bad, and it is only amplified with the harsh instrumentals. One great example of this would be in the track "Transylvania". The song goes for a mix of emotional riffs and barbarous riffs, and it flows well to the vocals, where Meyhna'ch is screaming the word "Transylvania" with genuine sadness, as he sounds like he misses the place. He also goes for a more melodic tone in some parts, and it sounds beautiful. His voice may be a bit much at certain parts of the tracks, but overall, they remain some of the most emotional vocals in black metal history.

Even the lyrics are great. You won't think that Mütiilation would have some great lyrical content, but you'd be mistaken. Take the lyrics to "Black Imperial Blood" for example, where this verse quotes:

Through ancient times of hidden dimensions
I rised immortal as a plague
My kingdom opens as the gates of Hell
Riding the blizzard, wolves bark

This verse talks about Meyhna'ch waking up from an eternal sleep and getting his kingdom ready. That may not sound that exciting, but the way the kingdom is described makes it sound like a terrible place to live, but in a good way. Not only that, but the instruments would only further enhance the lyrics, as with the more emotional guitar riffs and agonizing vocals, it gives the lyrics a more depressing tone in them. These descriptive lyrics can be found throughout the album, and they are written wonderfully.

With all of these reasons, it's easy to see why Mütiilation remains a respected name in the French black metal genre. The instrumentals play some very depressing tunes, Meyhna'ch's vocals sound genuinely traumatized, and the lyrics are poetic and descriptive. While Mütiilation's later albums would be mediocre and even poor at time (with the exception of "Black Millenium (Grimly Reborn)"), "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" remains their best work. If you're looking for some dark and cold black metal, this is an album I highly recommend you listen to.

As Arthur Miller would write, there are wheels within wheels and fires within fires when it comes to second wave black metal. While the great playwright was obviously not referring to Les Legions Noires, it is nevertheless an apt, if anachronistic, metaphor for the French black metal scene of the early to mid 90s, where they took the lo-fi concept to new degrees of extremity and decrepitude, burying underneath an already necro template to forge new ground.

The genius of Mutiilation is that they were able to sound utterly abject and corrosive, yet with an indefinable sense of grace and haunting romance. ‘Vampires of Black Imperial Blood’ is perfectly titled, as the connotation of regal vampiric activity precisely sums up the sound of this album, which I believe is Mutiilation’s ultimate triumph, and one of black metal's greatest achievements.

The sound is ruled by the razor-like guitars that function as a tool to paint a broad sonic white-wash, yet they are also strangely perceptible and clear. While there are certainly moments of intensity, the majority of riffs sit in that mid-paced atmospheric pocket, and the guitars are produced so perfectly well that the subtlest of melodies is able to be discerned from the savagery of the whole. That’s why this album is on the one hand more debased and extreme than, say, Darkthrone’s trilogy, yet it is also utterly listenable and engaging with a ubiquity of genuinely catchy and memorable moments.

The drums are played with heightened energy, even during the slower sections, and the clap of the snare sounds simply amazing. The cymbals are used frequently, yet are mercifully low in the mix, allowing the guitars to lead the sound. The drumming performance here is a masterclass in intelligence and energy.

The songs themselves are immense. The ten minute opener, ‘Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past’ begins with guitar picking that is layered in distortion, yet it is such a beautiful beginning - it exudes grace and nobility. The riff that begins at 4:25 is morose and haunting, and deceptively complex. There is art beneath the extremity. The track is an epic that moves through various moods and movements. At 5:10 it changes again into a jangling riff that just tears the heart. I want to howl at the moon by this point. Meyhna'ch's screams here, while the drums sit silent, are haunting and moving - then the drums come for the coup de grace. The whole track is testament to the genius of the album, in that the pace changes mean that the entire track is engaging from the beginning to the very end. It’s one of the greatest songs in black metal.

‘Ravens of My Funeral’ begins with a quick-step march, with an ascending riff that double-times after about eight bars before moving into a more intense passage. It later segues into a tumult of chaos and ends with wasp-like guitar flurries that conjure images of great movement across forests, mountains and ruins. ‘Transylvania’ contains buzzsaw guitars, yet with an elegance of composition that reminds me of a grand classical waltz at times, while 'Tears of a Melancholic Vampire', contains a series of frenetic and anguished riffs, and some deliciously out of tune picking sections. There is classical music at the heart of these songs.

The lyrics, all written in excellent English, evoke gothic landscapes of vast forests, ruined castles, coffins, vampirism and of course death and decay. While the lyrics are generally difficult to discern due to Meyhna'ch's tortured screams and moans, they are well worth following in the booklet.

My version, the Drakkar Productions re-release from 2017, contains a booklet with lyrics and alternative cover art, with Meyhna'ch spitting fire in the tradition of Quorthon, Frost and... Gene Simmons. I prefer this cover to the original, although I must admit that the original is quite evocative, if a little awkward, with Mordred standing strangely behind a seated Meyhna'ch. That picture adorns the inside back cover of the booklet, so nothing is lost.

There is no doubt that ‘Vampires of Black Imperial Blood’ is a masterpiece of black metal art. It is everything that is great about black metal, because despite the distortion there is elegant and emotional songwriting throughout the album. It’s uncanny. Nevertheless, it is an extreme release, best listened to alone and when the right mood is upon the listener. When that mood strikes, however, and imperial blood quickens, this vampiric expression will provide all you need. Listen carefully, and you'll hear the wheels within wheels, and feel the fires within fires.

Mütiilation easily encapsulate all that it means to be grim, kvlt and tr00 in the realms of Black Metal. Not only were they the darlings of Les Légions Noires from their demo material alone, but they managed to create a morbid, harsh dissonance which matched the very best in the scene pound for pound in sheer icy atmosphere. While it's arguable that the demo versions of this selection of tracks were better than the ones that are on offer for this debut, there's no denying the quality of the chilling, trebly hiss that fills your soul upon listening to this album.

Meyhna'ch , the mastermind behind this aural bleakness, must have certainly had a screw lose when he put these songs together, they're just so wrong sounding that they couldn't have been the offspring of a healthy mind. The sub-zero guitar work clangs and shimmers its way through discordant riffs and arpeggios, backed up with dustbin drums that flicker like a black flame behind the madness, generally keeping the nocturnal pulse steady and rhythmic without being afraid of going completely ballistic like some skeletal out of control freight train. Together with the torturous vomited vocals, the atmosphere of the album transports you to a freezing, dark dungeon, filled with garbled moans emanating from the gloom that taunt and unsettle you from your sanity. Yes, it's THAT fucking morose. The guitars are at their most disturbing when they're twanging away slowly, sounding almost out of tune at times — there's no room for flashy musicianship here — it's all about the twisted perversity.

For those who've yet to check Mütiilation out, you can't get a better starting point than this (although the original Drakkar version has been out of print for an age, there are constantly re-issued versions flying around if you check the right places). It's best listened to alone at night, so you can really meditate on every stripped down, dilapidated nuance. If you're a fan of Xasthur, Manes and the like, you NEED this in your collection.

Originally written for www.metalcrypt.com

This album is depressive black metal at its finest! Mutiilation is the notorious brainchild of Mey'nach from the well known Black Legions circle of France's black metal scene. Unlike many other Black Legions recordings the production of this album is significantly clearer, especially when compared to the earlier demos by this band, but the remaining rawness of it adds a perfect balance to the depressive atmosphere it gives off when you listen to it. What Xasthur would later become, and what early Burzum lacked Mutiilation draws out in full force with this album!

There's a lot of very dark inverted riffs played through out. From the first notes played across the intro of "Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past" to the dark tremolo riffing of songs like "Black Imperial Blood" Mutiilation has outdone itself from previous recordings and brought together something that is truly brilliant. During this time even the likes of Norway weren't coming out with something so depressive, so dark, so evil, and so melancholic. This album defines all what it meant to be black metal at this time and done so respectively without trying to add grimness or rawness for the sake of being either or. The poor production is there to compliment the recording, and even then is far from as poor as you'd expect with black metals standards, possibly one of the better produced early mid 90s albums you'll find.

This is definitely a classic album and must have for anyone who's remotely into black metal at all. It's one of the best recordings if not the best one from this band. Everything you'd want from a black metal record is on here, so if you somehow come across this rare classic don't even think, just grab you, you won't regret it at all. Definitely one of the best black metal recordings ever put together, and during its time the epitome of all black metal. Worth any possible listen you can give to it. It's sure not to disappoint!

I've been reading some negative reviews of some LLN bands and their respective releases. Including this one. Now I don't know for sure if these are just your typical "trolls" that give everything critically acclaimed a bad review just to ruffle some feathers, be noticed or to bring down the average review rating. I've noticed this for a while and I've come to the conclusion that they either don't "get it" or they're just fucking stupid, maybe both. Some reviews just come out as anti-LLN or black metal rants that could've and should've been posted on a forum.

Anyway onto Mutiilation and Vampires Of Black Imperial Blood. This was by record to be the "only" full length release by the LLN. And boy what a release it is. Very few bands sound this depressive, angry, demented and truly evil all at once. Only the legendary ones can pull it off. Early Darkthrone, Bathory, Mayhem (Dead era) and Burzum instantly pop to my head. This album is widely sought after and with good reason. The production is raw and grim, like black metal should sound. Not the new stuff that's over the top like Cradle or glorified like Dimmu. Those have taken the name black metal and packaged the genre into some more accesible or "fan friendly" to the regular person. Black metal was never meant to be like that and Mutiilation (LLN as a whole) reminded us of it.

The whole album sends shivers down your spine and creates an atmosphere that makes you feel as if you're at a black mass or in a dark castle filled with blood thirsty vampires. This is music that needs to be taken seriously and not with an indifferent or mocking attitude as many do with the LLN or black metal. Some of you just don't get it, despite what you think (which is probably how they'd want it anyway). Once again, Meyhna'ch had an ear for a demented but catchy riff and this album is full of them. From the catchy riffs on Black Imperial Blood, Transylvania and the almost rocky one on Under Ardailles Night. This album never lets up and never disappoints. The argument can be made that this album can be one of the top 5 releases in black metal history.

It's that good and 12 years later is still one of the most desired albums. That alone is proof enough of it's excellence. The only discussion that many make is which one is the better? Vampires.. or Remains...? A strong argument can be made for both as to which is better. And in my opinion they're both equally legendary. If you don't see that, well then we're better off without you.

Gonna be a slightly different review in a sense than the ones below because I have the Tragic Empire Rex label's CD release which has 10 tracks including a cover of Bathory's "The Rite of Darkness" and all the tracks organised in a different order from the original CD release, plus one original track has been dropped and three new ones including the Bathory cover added. I did check with the guy I bought my copy form and he advised me it is a legit release and referred me to the label's website. I believe the problem with the legitimacy of the Tragic Empire Rex releases has been cleared up and everyone accepts them as proper recordings so without more ado I shall blather on.

All the songs are great but my impression is that the first five tracks are the best and tracks 6 - 8 are slightly less aggressive and a bit muted. The opener "Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past" is a magnificent piece, very melodramatic and forceful. Willy Roussel pours his world-weary black heart and soul out into every groan and screen and the odd belch or two. Melodies are catchy, even groovy, in spite of the basic production and the god-awful sound of the drums with those floppy skins and the tinny cymbals. The title track "Black Imperial Blood" maintains the pace, Roussel again screaming for all he's worth (and his singing can actually be very moving). The instruments for all their hornet noise and floppiness are very black, raw and grim. The band forges ahead into "Eternal Empire of Majesty Death" and "Tears of a Melancholic Vampire" (ah, just love those titles!): the atmosphere is melancholy and there is the feeling that the tragedy and sadness associated with being a vampire, which in many cultures has come to signify a defiant outsider exiled from society (and it's not just because of their dietary habits, the pallor of their appearance or the body odour), are always close by and come too frequently. Memorable tunes, Roussel's "seen-it-all" lugubrious style of singing and raw garagey production make this part of the record the big highlight of a wayward little ghoul's life.

"Transylvania" continues where "Tears ..." leaves off with everyone hell-bent on smashing all the drums into the ground and shredding the already decrepit guitars into kitty litter. Roussel's accented singing (he sings in English) makes him sound like he's got a tremendous hangover after one too many pints at his local Red Cross pub but his relaxed singing aside (a rarity in black metal), this song is a splendid rendition of a vampire's nostalgic longing for his homeland.

The next three tracks, "Ravens of My Funeral", "Under Ardailles Night" and "Forests of an Evil Dream" seem tame compared to the bloc of superb songs before them but the production is still very raw and even sounds more primitive than previously. "Ravens ..." is quite tinny and mosquito-whiny and Roussel slips into a mood close to self-pity. "Under Ardailles Night" has a more punk-oriented feel and a steady rhythm which lessens the aggression. "Forests ..." picks up fresh anger with constant changes in pace and Roussel's gravelly screaming and groaning. Overall, not a bad trio, they just suffer from being bunched up together instead of being spread out through the album.

We don't have "Born Under the Master's Spell" which is a real bugger. We do get "Travels to Sadness, Hate and Depression" which is a melancholy and rage-fuelled song by turns. Bringing up the rear is the Bathory cover "The Rite ..." where Roussel and Company ascend to a higher level of instrument annihilation: they quickly dispense with the necessary verse/chorus/verse/chorus and guitar solo business and then get down to The Serious Business of wrecking and killing everything in sight. The drums especially get hammered into the earth faster than you can say "pancaked" and Roussel lurches from being totally stoned to rejoicing in the sheer carnage of all those instruments. He lives in a castle or at the very least a large mansion so he obviously can afford to replace them all.

Whichever CD version you get (and you may well get both!), you will find this album is a class act, totally sick and over the top: grim, harsh and chaotic, yes, yet grand and ambitious and possessing much flamboyance and flair. There are many tunes here which would make fine mobile phone ring-tones but that's probably an unkvlt virginal-snow white thing to say. Music such as this ought to expire in a glorious pyrotechnic chaotic mess with a huge casualty toll in guitars, tom toms, snares and amps which it does on my CD copy. With an album like this, you can forgive Roussel many things apart from that resurrection publicity stunt ...

OK.. i'll admit it. When I first heard a few tracks from this album about 5 years ago, I thought it was a load of bollocks. A combination of listening to it on shitty speakers and my unfamiliarity with anything rawer than Darkthrone and early Bathory had my ears absorbing and dismissing what sounded like a bunch of instruments falling down a staircase while some guy coughed up dust in the background.

Skip forward to the present day and I can finally appreciate this album as it was intended: a harsh, minimalistic ode to the power of metal stripped down to it's bare elements, and infused with an atmosphere so grim and melancholic you'll feel like you're being enveloped by pure liquid darkness as you listen to it. The nonexistant production allows the nihilistic fervour of the music to exist in an unfettered, primal state - this is completely devoid of any trace of musicians attempting to show you how virtuosic they are. Instead, Mütiilation's entire raison d'etre is to convey their uniquely twisted worldview through sound. So, you get a mixture of filthy, high speed black metal tunes full of ear catching, twisted riffs such as "Born Under The Master's Spell", "Eternal Empire Of Majesty Death" and the unparalled majesty of "Transylvania", juxtaposed with more downbeat, creepy epics like the amazing 10 minute masterpiece "Magical Shadows Of A Tragic Past" and the monumental "Black Imperial Blood". Forget Xasthur's instrumental cover version, this is the ultimate sonic expression of M'yanech's twisted soul.

In the end, this album is about one thing, and one thing only: pure blackened atmosphere. It's not something you put on when you want your ass kicked, or when you want to mouth along to something catchy and brutal. No, you listen to Vampires Of Black Imperial Blood when you wish to be transported to a nihilistic world where the sky is eternally pitch black, the air smells like blood and burning corpses, and the shadows churn with the stalking movements of unspeakably vile creatures.