_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ /// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Amen Corner ::\ :: Album :: Written by the Devil :: :: Year :: 2024 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CD . :: :: Label :: Metal Army R.date :: 2024-07-06 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: ARMY 104-CD S.date :: 2024-06-07 __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 262kbps :.. . Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo . . Size :: 99.10 MB . . . __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 1. Intro 1:24 :: :: 2. The War of the Antichrist 5:38 :: :: 3. The Protectors 5:28 :: :: 4. Fall and Ascension 7:27 :: :: 5. Signal from Beyond 5:34 :: :: 6. Inferno 3:10 :: :: 7. Written by the Devil 6:45 :: :: 8. The Splendor of Your Presence 4:34 :: :: 9. Lucifer, a Suprema Luz da Manha 4:45 :: :: 10. Destroyer of Worlds (Bathory cover) 5:13 :: :: :: :: :: :: ------- :: .. >> 49:58 .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: The unquestionable destiny written by the hand of Death :: :: reasserts itself on this seventh full-length album by way of :: :: Curitiba, Brazil-borne black metal quartet AMEN CORNER who :: :: remind us who it is that brought men down to the realm of the :: :: dead, freed us in their fall away from him. Having already :: :: nailed a potential classics attuned (yet quality of life :: :: improved) vision of a future-self roughly eight years ago these :: :: æold schoolÆ black metal fellowes return to restate and refine :: :: said approach, commanding a first wave inspired early second :: :: wave borne voice on æWritten by the Devilæ. Fans of the ancient :: :: mid-paced forms of black metal whoÆve no qualms with clean but :: :: characteristic vision should appreciate the simple efficacy of :: :: the old ways in their hands. :: :: :: :: Amen Corner formed circa 1992 as one of the first black metal :: :: bands (alongside Murder Rape) from their region of southern :: :: Brazil (Paranß) wherein their early sound took inspiration from :: :: the first wave (Venom, mostly) and non-Scandinavian traditions :: :: of the early second wave (Samael, Mortuary Drape) not unlike :: :: the early efforts of Mystifier up far north and Impurity :: :: towards the center of the continent. Today these bands are all :: :: generally well accounted for, most allÆve reissued/remastered :: :: and reformed their classics, but only their early-to-mid 90Æs :: :: Cogumelo released entries breached the perceptions of more than :: :: die-hard collectors prior to the mid-2000Æs, at least per my :: :: own experience. Amen Corner were neither the best known group :: :: nor the most original among that loosely gathered list but :: :: their first demo tape (æEternal Propheciesæ, 1992) and debut LP :: :: (æFall, Ascension, Dominationæ, 1993) were a bit less sloppy :: :: and less prone to copping riffs as many of their perceived :: :: peers at the time. I particularly appreciate their work with :: :: original drummer Paulo Costa as his style and approach to :: :: double-bass drumming was a big part of their signature for the :: :: span of four releases throughout the 90Æs. Costa and second :: :: guitarist ManΘ had left by 1996 and in their wake the peak of :: :: the bandÆs classic era remains the hugely underrated æIachol Ve :: :: Tehilßæ (1995), the point where some faster-paced pieces and :: :: their use of keyboards lead to a more thrashing and menacing :: :: version of their original sound. Most folks interested in the :: :: band today are primarily interested in that original 90Æs era :: :: style and sound. :: :: :: :: By 2000 most all of the bandÆs line-up had been replaced beyond :: :: founding guitarist Murm·rio and thatÆd meant the signature :: :: sound of Amen Corner was resigned to mid-paced æold schoolÆ :: :: black metal with non-specific production values and little :: :: continuity beyond the artists guitar work. I am not a fan of :: :: this era of the band but it is worthwhile to give æLeviathan :: :: Demiseæ (2010) a closer listen as the bandÆd returned to :: :: Cogumelo for their next two records and seemed intent on :: :: reviving their classic style back then with returning original :: :: vocalist Sucoth Benoth (ex-Infernal) whoÆd been in the band :: :: Camos in the interim. From my point of view the best thing to :: :: come from the semi-reformation of the band was some :: :: interviews/documentation thatÆd arrived with their 2014 album :: :: and while all of this provenance, history and a just-alright :: :: set of albums released since 2010 made good on some of their :: :: earlier promise Amen Corner had neither recreated the magick of :: :: the old stuff or outdone it in a profound way, they did however :: :: respect the old ways. The way forward beyond the 2010Æs has :: :: been a focus on a higher standard while still meeting the :: :: expectations of their long-standing name in Brazilian æold :: :: schoolÆ black metal, an even more nostalgic LP (æUnder the Whip :: :: and Crownæ, 2018) seemed to be the right direction with the :: :: production values amped and the vocals slightly more over the :: :: top than usual and thatÆd largely set the expectations :: :: moderately high for æWritten by the Devilæ. :: :: :: :: If we set aside the precedent for Amen Corneræs personae and :: :: auld sound for a moment and view this album in a vacuum :: :: alongside their previous LP their style on æWritten by the :: :: Devilæ could easily be categorized along the lines of recent :: :: work from Mortuary Drape wherein an element of slower-paced but :: :: still thrashing movement and 80Æs heavy metal inspired :: :: songcraft inform their path. As we step into opener ôThe War of :: :: the Antichristö and hit the nauseous wander of its opening riff :: :: there is a clear sense of æselfÆ past-and-present available to :: :: this moment but it isnÆt long before the actual strike into :: :: song carries us to Celtic Frost-esque groove, rolling steady :: :: and rattling off noisome leads atop the rest. Simple as its :: :: arrangement is this song does what any great opener should, :: :: tempers the ear for what is to come and rouses the spirits into :: :: momentum, and in the process theyÆve introduced a strong and :: :: pronounced bass guitar tone from Fernando, the newest addition :: :: to their fold. His work is even more prominent in standout :: :: jog-paced haunt ôThe Protectorsö, there youÆll likely get the :: :: first wave black feeling more distinctly in terms of movement :: :: and presentation. This is well enough in line with what the :: :: bandÆd been working on with æUnder the Whip and Crownæ and thus :: :: far we are getting something slightly more straight forward, :: :: fewer riffs and more time spent developing their central :: :: groove. :: :: :: :: The main reason IÆd taken a closer look at this record was not :: :: only the strong pair of opening pieces and their conjoined :: :: momentum but how theyÆd carried that mood and motif into the :: :: extended standout ôFall and Ascensionô, probably the most :: :: doomed piece on the album per its introduction and the first we :: :: hear of pitch-shifted vocals finding their way into the :: :: narrative style of the vocalist on this record. The build-up of :: :: this song is perpetual, lingering as if about to break through :: :: Ætil the very last moment (~5:58 minutes in) when it finally :: :: does just enough to finish the thought. This modulation of :: :: tempo over a span of time is brilliant in its effect and is :: :: something fans of early Samael should appreciate up front. Side :: :: A feels entirely relevant one moment to the next, sewn together :: :: in mode and narrative enough that the first half of æWritten by :: :: the Devilæ that it feels substantial, or, the nature of the :: :: bandÆs approach is justified in effect and the directive of the :: :: album is not only clear but somewhat tuneful. Per my own :: :: listening experience I have to admit I wasnÆt all that excited :: :: to jump into a new Amen Corner record to start, not expecting :: :: much, yet that first half was entirely convincing in terms of :: :: an authentic sound, an occult purpose, and a performative :: :: stroke which is pure heavy metal when all is said and done. :: :: :: :: The only real challenge hereÆd been keeping the momentum going :: :: throughout Side B as ôInfernoö grinds in before ôWritten by the :: :: Devilö vamps and stalls its way through one of the more :: :: theatric moments on the album, once again playing with pace in :: :: a manner which is inherently entertaining and finding :: :: profundity in exaggerative performances. Around this point it :: :: feels like theyÆve nailed that ill-advised spirit of early 90Æs :: :: non-Scandinavian black metal, not exactly putting on an early :: :: Root level of weirding but not standing all that far from the :: :: fire either way. The full listen kind of dies at the point, :: :: unfortunately, as ôThe Splendour of Your Presenceö isnÆt much :: :: of a thrill as a closer beyond compounding the Venom-esque ride :: :: Amen Corner have always deployed and ôL·cifer, a Suprema Luz da :: :: Manhπö is largely a four minute horror landscape with narration :: :: in Portuguese (I assume), a dark sound collage which acts as a :: :: 4+ minute outro. :: :: :: :: It isnÆt a perfect presentation yet there isnÆt much to :: :: reasonably complain about when taking into consideration :: :: expectations, history, and/or how this record builds upon the :: :: previous work of Amen Corner and presents a viable nowadays :: :: version of that without forgetting their deep underground :: :: notoriety. Folks who know the bandÆs style and sound well :: :: should be more than pleased with this personification though :: :: newcomers might not immediately get the small, ultra-specific :: :: niche thatÆd birthed Æem. It doesnÆt necessarily sit as :: :: pristine in mind as, say, the obscure blasphemic freakery of :: :: æThe Final Celebrationæ did back in the day when I first :: :: discovered the band but I think these folks have done well to :: :: replicate that core inspiration and take it forward a few :: :: decades without losing its infernal fire and selling out to bad :: :: nostalgia. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2024 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :