Douglas Hernandez | 09/06/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Much like Sargeist's last effort, Satanic Black Devotion, the 4 songs presented here follow the same route, but are much harsher, less polished and more primitive in every aspect. The songs have a misanthropic factor in them; think of atmosphere of Burzum's Philosofem album, but with less inaccessibility. If you love raw black metal, then you'll like this, to put it simply. Horned Almighty is definitely more rock n rollish with their interpretation of black metal, delivering stripped Darkthrone-esque riffs (Ravishing Grimness era), and a more concise picture of their sound. They prefer to actively maintain themselves busy, switching speeds and having a more natural feel in their songs. Their best track has got to be "Degradation Song", which starts with some punishing slow-paced doom into a storm of distorted riffs that have a strong old-school feeling. So, Horned Almighty likes to play loud and dirty, while Sargeist focuses on grimmer atmospheres. It is a satisfying balance to show how two bands can perform different versions of black metal while staying true to its nucleus."
A Pure Demonic Blessing
Brendan "Mayhem Master" Calhoun | Everywhere | 06/01/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Sargeist and Horned Almighty are two black metal bands that are probably some of the blackest and most evil sounding ever. Craft (who is on the same record label: Moribund) are very very dark as well. Anyway, this split is a pure black metal attack. I gave it four stars only because it isn't the best thing I've heard, but it still is very cold, grim, and satanic."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1