Deiphago, a three-piece black metal band that originated in the Philippines, released their second full-length album,
Filipino Antichrist, in November—after being active, mind you, for approximately twenty years. The new album, more or less, explains why they have not been prolific in the full-length output department, as their uncompromising “bestial” black metal template has surely minimized their chances for lucrative label support, but it is this very circumstance, I believe, that gives Deiphago a lot of credibility within the underground scene. Probably the best summation of this album—and this summation comes from a positive review—is this: “To the untrained ear, this sound[s] like a fucking mess—there’s no other way to put it. Even some seasoned extreme metal listeners will think this [album] is too much.” Indeed, I do not want to refute the reviewer’s claim because the album does “sound like a fucking mess,” but this quality is derived from the purposeful raw production, which causes the guitar, bass, and drums to dissolve into one another in a kind of cumulative vicious white-noise monolith. What penetrates this monolith, however, are the hellish vocals and the occasional flash-fire guitar solos that, at times, are disturbingly hypnotic. So whether or not uncompromising black metal—of the ilk that has the potential to be psychically scaring, or, well, mayhap a little silly—is ultimately
your call, but considering that many black metal bands opt for varnished productions and romantic Satanic imagery, I have to respect a band that is so furiously unromantic in its imagery and production strategy. Their conviction to deliver unvarnished, in-praise-of-Satan black metal is impressive and, I will admit, genuinely scary in its discordant aural assault.
Filipino Antichrist is definitely recommended for die-hard black metal fans and the most adventurous of extreme metal listeners. However, don't say that you haven't been
warned, because you have....
Deiphago, a three-piece black metal band that originated in the Philippines, released their second full-length album, Filipino Antichrist, in November—after being active, mind you, for approximately twenty years. The new album, more or less, explains why they have not been prolific in the full-length output department, as their uncompromising “bestial” black metal template has surely minimized their chances for lucrative label support, but it is this very circumstance, I believe, that gives Deiphago a lot of credibility within the underground scene. Probably the best summation of this album—and this summation comes from a positive review—is this: “To the untrained ear, this sound[s] like a fucking mess—there’s no other way to put it. Even some seasoned extreme metal listeners will think this [album] is too much.” Indeed, I do not want to refute the reviewer’s claim because the album does “sound like a fucking mess,” but this quality is derived from the purposeful raw production, which causes the guitar, bass, and drums to dissolve into one another in a kind of cumulative vicious white-noise monolith. What penetrates this monolith, however, are the hellish vocals and the occasional flash-fire guitar solos that, at times, are disturbingly hypnotic. So whether or not uncompromising black metal—of the ilk that has the potential to be psychically scaring, or, well, mayhap a little silly—is ultimately your call, but considering that many black metal bands opt for varnished productions and romantic Satanic imagery, I have to respect a band that is so furiously unromantic in its imagery and production strategy. Their conviction to deliver unvarnished, in-praise-of-Satan black metal is impressive and, I will admit, genuinely scary in its discordant aural assault. Filipino Antichrist is definitely recommended for die-hard black metal fans and the most adventurous of extreme metal listeners. However, don't say that you haven't been warned, because you have....