Realm of the Vortex

Chaos Aeon

Ruler of the East

Forbidden Wisdom

Red Prison

Hammering the Nails - Vengeance of the Damned

Pits of Utumno

Burial of a Plague

The Enemy within

All music created by Purgatory, except "Pits Of Utumno", originally performed by Morgoth. All lyrics by Sick and Purgatory, except "Pits Of Utumno" by Morgoth.

Dreier - Vocals

René - Guitars

Peter - Bass

Lutz - Drums

Guest appearances: Onielar (Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult), Martin van Drunen (Asphyx/Hail Of Bullets), Wannes Gubbels (Asphyx/Pentacle), Marc Grewe (Morgoth), Bernd Korades (Korades).

PURGATORY: "Cultus Luciferi - The Splendour of Chaos"   purgatory            

                                                                                                                                               Animate Records

Recorded and mixed at the end of 2007 by Bernd Korades in Halle/Saale. Engineered and produced by Purgatory and Bernd Korades. Mastered by Patrick W. Engel at "Temple Of Disharmony" in January 2008.

All music created by Purgatory, except "Pits Of Utumno", originally performed by Morgoth. All lyrics by Sick and Purgatory, except "Pits Of Utumno" by Morgoth.

Cultus Luciferi - The Splendour Of Chaos" Digi 2008 (limited to 1000 copies) / LP (with poster, limited to 500 copies) 2008 

review  by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo ___          

The copying and/or reproduction for any purpose whatsoever of the content of the present review, in whole or in part,  is strictly forbidden without giving credits.

Tame this fury for your delight!

The German Death Metal horde Purgatory strikes back, and again the band opens a gateway to Inferno. Fortunately unrepetant, in spite of 2 changes in the line-up, Purgatory celebrate, with this  recently released (on May 30th 2008) fifth album, a kind of sequel of their formidable work "Luciferianism" (2004). The titles disclose a subtle evolution: from a dynamic  Luciferianism we reach now  the persistence and evolution of a "cult".  A cult for an uncorrupted music  with a lot of technique and care in the sound, this time with much groovy fashion. The album Luciferianism was already a great piece of brutal uncompromising tracks  tainted with  blasphemy and unrestrained flaming force. Now Cultus Luciferi establishes the certainty but also the modernity and  ability in composition of Purgatory in the European Death Metal scene (just see the billing of the FTC XI and  Party-San 2008). 

Once more open to Black Metal influences , still tied hard to the  genuine patterns of  Death Metal, Purgatory reveal a new freshness. Vocals are varied with solid growls and plumbed evil shrieks. The sound is well structured with a valuable harmonization of the guitars; all in all the pace of the album is fast nonetheless there are often tempting moments of abyssal midtempo's ( practically always counterbalanced by the persistent drum speed) and thunderous violent flagelling launchers. It is the art to transmit  the concept of  demolition, of  wipeout, of that kind of eradication that gives birth to new essences and new substance. Therefore  Cultus Luciferi is everything else than  blind brutalism: indeed, starting from the track number 4 Forbidden Wisdom, the album prospers with tracks infused with attractive hooks and loops, with a logical structure of composition that  can be appreciated immediately, because the explosive  frame doesn't hide this structure, which is, on the contrary, emphasized. In this way, after three good fast tracks that pave the way  in a quite known way, the listener is surprised and unholy beatified by five songs that are simply a blast and that represent a very positive evolution in the style of the band. 

Forbidden Wisdom is bulldozing, multilayered, true roaring headbanging possession with incredible chords, staccatos and a fast cadenced drive. A true pleasure for brain and body. A killer that will raze every pit. 

Then, when the track number 5, Red Prison,  attacks us, it's clear that the album has definitively taken an outstanding direction. Red Prison is able to give everything: hammering rhythmic flow, varied structure of the string  who cuts both  blunt and sharp , blast beats, rabid loops and reverberation, brutal yet harmonic decelerations.   Hammering the Nails has something gloomy that invites to a  trance state yet the  percussive whipping scourge to active ecstasy breathlessly.  The cover Pits of Utumno gets a little touch of atmospheric panache, a great work of the rhythm session and the presence of lead guitar sound. Burial of a Plague is an evil implacable fiend. 

A tempest of blood and nihilism is the personality of the closer The Enemy within, a bit too nervous outburst with a fading away outro that leaves behind a short but intense sinister industrial-like gloominess with a brief statement: "This is the age of Satan, Satan rules the Earth".

 If the 3 initial tracks would not be somehow predictable, i would rate this album a ten out of ten. Anyway Purgatory, with this Cultus Luciferi, deliver a brilliant work in Extreme music. 

If you are strong, buy this album and tame its hot fury for your delight!

Rating: 9,8/10 

dalia di giacomo         02.09.2008

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