Into the Cunt of Chaos

This is almost unbelievably good along with being musically very unique, and I recommend it to any and all black metal fans who would like to hear what real talent in the genre sounds like. Satan's Almighty Penis is without a doubt stronger than 95% of modern black metal bands by virtue of this album alone. It's not only remarkably varied, but the band is immensely talented at composing all those variations, and, more importantly, bringing them together into a cohesive and majestic whole. In short, 'Into The Cunt Of Chaos' is a mandatory purchase for really any black metal fan whose tastes have evolved beyond the most simple incarnations of the genre.

The music on this album is many things. It's chaotic, owing to both the strangely composed music as well as the just-above-demo level production. It's extremely melodic at times with collections of melancholic yet uplifting tremolo riffs. It's extremely aggressive and brutal, with some fierce blast beats and one of the most intense vocal performances I've ever heard in black metal. The music is unique without really being 'strange'; there's nothing openly weird about anything going on here, but everything seems a half-step off kilter with the rest of the black metal scene, yet feels completely coherent on its own terms. They're one of those bands who you know are among the best because they don't feel the need to be musically outrageous to be noticed and appreciated. There's some restraint.

Much in the same way that Goatwhore goes about things, Satan's Almighty Penis is a band that feels no need to obey any particular musical rules. Like many great bands, the music on 'Into The Cunt Of Chaos' sounds like it was composed and simply happened to be black metal, rather than written with the idea of being black metal in mind. This gives the band much more freedom and depth. I love how rounded everything on this release is; it's emotionally compelling and quickly changeable, with a wonderful example being 'Befouling The Heart Of Deities', which abruptly yet deftly moves from technical, thrashy sections into glorious melodic black metal without missing a beat. Among less talented bands, changing styles so abruptly would result in a totally ruined musical flow, but Satan's Almighty Penis manages to do it without any such difficulty.

The (real) first and last tracks are by far the most melodic and epic; the middle tracks are substantially more Norwegian in nature and raw. They're no less compelling, though; Satan's Almighty Penis consistently avoids the same stale riffs that have been cycling in black metal for years, opting for a greater sense of dark melody instead. On the other hand, rarely do I hear music where vocals are such a crucial element, and the vocal performance on this release is fantastic, coming in the form of a vomiting, tortured screech that projects a real aura of intensity. It's rare, given the standard style of performance, that I notice the intensity of a black metal vocalist, but in this case it seems like the (surprisingly well written) lyrics are being projected at an enormous volume with genuine emotion backing them.

I guess the reason I love this so much is that it feels real and organic. Much in the way that very early Cradle Of Filth songs felt genuinely epic due to the radically different moods and music that could be found in any one track, Satan's Almighty Penis feels similarly epic in scope, even on the shorter tracks. The songs are very true sounding and never feel like an array of riffs laid end to end; they move and progress in a way that's more subtle and authentic than that. Maybe it's just how the band is willing to stretch the confines of black metal; since the band doesn't adhere to convention at all, the music feels more genuine and less pat as a result.

Whatever it is that makes this album so special and great, it's a worthwhile purchase by any metal fan. I can listen to it numerous times without getting bored, as the music has enough complexity and creativity to sustain itself even after multiple listens. If people were more willing to get past the curious choice of moniker and album title, I think that many would discover a great, tragically unknown black metal album that demands much more attention than it's gotten so far.