It has been a while since I received in the mail a “love” package from Hammer of Hate label, in the form of some gnarliest Finnish underground black metal. I hope the label is still in the running, but one of the reasons for dormancy might be the fact that the label soul Molestor Kadotus has been very prolific churning out releases for his own one-man band Anal Blasphemy. Time to catch up with the band and the split with a newcomer Forbidden Eye is a perfect opportunity.

The split The Perverse Worship of Satanic Sins characterizes what Anal Blasphemy does pretty well. Without much change in the musical direction the band is proliferating sleaze soaked primitive black metal. Well, primitive is really in the eye of the beholder here as Sperm of Satan, Antichrist Semen has its fair share of persistent melodic tremolo and Birth-Death-Rebirth almost revels in its distinct main theme, at some point letting only guitars do the work, adding layers, before the passion boils over and more massive attack begins. Guitar tone for Anal Blasphemy is of course distorted, but almost surprisingly rather warm (Licking the Cunt of Chaos), which fits the lustful, but also in a way wistful way of Sperm of Satan, Antichrist Semen or even the touch of sorrow Birth-Death-Rebirth possesses. Drums do not overwhelm and flow steadily from behind the guitars. Where Molestor Kadotus pushed the envelope somewhat is his vocals. Not one-dimensional his are juicy multilevel lamentations, both raspy, but also bordering on clean ones in Licking the Cunt of Chaos. As a result, the Anal Blasphemy side of the split at times has almost preachy and hymnical quality, the "shepherd" leading the "flock" to an orgy (Licking the Cunt of Chaos) or to the cauldron of churning suffering at the end of Birth-Death-Rebirth. Overall, good sloppy seductive stuff showing growth and not letting go of the past.

Not sure what to expect from Forbidden Eye (and mostly counting on Anal Blasphemy to provide quality) I was very pleasantly surprised by what Nocturnus Dominus (instruments) and Winter (vocals) were able to deliver. Origins of the band not entirely known (American? Swiss?) Forbidden Eye shift guitar tone to much colder, slicing, full of attitude and rather in your face. At the same time songs like The Moon of the Blood Serpent and Monastery of Satan rock away constantly presenting melodic infectiousness of early Gorgoroth, but in style and sound coming close to Horna, Sargeist and Satanic Warmaster, so it seems natural for Molestor Kadotus to join forces with Forbidden Eye. The two bands complement each other really well. While Anal Blasphemy wants to suck you in an splatter in human excretions, Forbidden Eye is more dejected and forlorn, but at the same just doesn’t give a hoot about it, and displays certain bravery while doing so (Monastery of Satan, Hour Glass of Black Tears).