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Belëf > Infection Purification > Reviews
Belëf - Infection Purification

This is fucking insane - 52%

Noktorn, May 21st, 2006

I simply hate reviewing albums like Belëf's 'Infection Purification'. Not because it's a particularly bad album per se, but the style of black metal they specialize in has an inherent relativism to it that makes it extraordinarily difficult to review in an objective fashion. This French black metal outfit has such a specialized target audience that it's really sort of pointless to talk about at all. Like most slam death, this style's fans probably own 'Infection Purification' already.

Belëf like Marduk. Wait, scratch that, the life of every member of this band is based exclusively around emulating Marduk in every conceivable fashion. Well that's not so bad, you might think to yourself, after all, Marduk has made some excellent albums. But what if I told you that Belëf, above and beyond simple Marduk worship, idolized the one album by that artist that manages to polarize every single member of the metal scene? Yes, we are looking at Panzer Division Marduk Part Two: More Blasting. Belëf plays harsh, grindcore-influenced black metal that is going to be attractive to about twenty people in the world. Non-stop blast beats, constant tremolo picking, rasping yet guttural vocals, it's all here.

So now that we have the audience for this disc centralized, what is there to recommend about it? Well, the members of Belëf do know how to play their instruments (I can only imagine the ridiculous stamina it takes to play this), and some of the riffs are enjoyable. However, the simple percussive brutality of this album is what will mark your purchasing decision. If you enjoy USBM acts such as Kult Ov Azazel but want the music even simpler and more frenzied, you'll adore this album. If Panzer Divison Marduk is always in your CD player but you think the songs are too varied, you need to get this. I'll admit, the absolute psychotic rage of this album is impressive in and of itself, going for beyond the majority of black metal these days. But does that make it a good album? It really depends on who you are. For me, this album is certainly an amusing diversion, but it's an absolute chore to listen to all the way through. Panzer Division Marduk succeeded because it was only a mere half hour long. Infection Purification is nearly twice that. You'd better enjoy your blast beats.

In conclusion, if you think of the term 'norsecore' as a compliment, pick it up. Fans of Burzum and Summoning just might want to pass.

(Originally written for http://www.vampire-magazine.com)