Album Review: Belphegor - Conjuring The Dead

In 2014, black metal’s shock value has well and truly worn off, no longer the harbinger of all things evil it once was. But was it ever really about pissing off the mainstream, or empowering the blackened few? With an old-school death/black mentality, polished production and guest appearances from fellow heretics Glen Benton and Attila, it’s clear on which side of the fence Belphegor sit. At times, this slab of ten blasphemously heretic anthems sounds like a Panzer tank exploding in slow motion, with enough grooves and guitar-noodling to down a beer to between rituals.