Originally written by Keith Fox.
Wow. I was not expecting something with such generic artwork to be so good. It looks like an old school black metal release, and that’s exactly what it is – straightforward, raging, brutal black metal that hails from Finland and makes no effort to hide its influences (the early Norwegian and Finnish scenes). This self-titled MCD is the band’s first proper release and it’s great.
With the title track, we’re immediately thrown into a familiar and bleak sonic landscape: pummeling rhythm and blastbeats, absolutely caustic screams and howls, and icy riffs that would make Gorgoroth and Behexenproud. It’s pure blackness, and its no-bullshit, aggressive approach works wonders. But what sets this up a step from other like-minded black metal acts in my book is SI’s surprising maturity. This Finnish duo not only exhibits expert command of the brutality and vitriol required to make such a derivative sound interesting; they also expand their palette with hints of atmosphere and undercurrents of brooding melody and tension in the four long songs offered here that go a long way to keep me coming back for more than just a forward-charging headbanging black metal record. This feels smarter, darker, more lasting. “Prophet of Misanthropy” almost sounds like it could be a lost Glorior Belli track with its deeper howls and creeping melodies. The closer “Eternal Agonies” and the shortest, slowest and most straightforward track on the album “Infinite Darkness” share the honor of possessing the riffs that get stuck in my head and have me spending long hours at work playing the air guitar and thinking about deep lakes and frozen forests. And Satan. And how great Sacrilegious Impalement is.
This is apparently meant to clear the way for a full-length release dropping sometime later this year. I don’t need another black metal record like this in my collection. But with songs this good, I really want one. Besides, I love the generic artwork: see how he’s gonna impale somebody? Definitely recommended, and at just 25 minutes you have just no excuse to ignore this if black metal is your thing.
