One band that struck a serious nerve when I was just starting high school was the Austrian band Belphegor. Goatreich – Fleshcult was the bands fifth studio album, following after the very good Lucifer Incestus. Belphegor have always exploded with a brash, violent, and venomous tone with many of their albums, but Goatreich – Fleshcult is one of their albums that to this very day left a notable blackened stain in my memory. Come February, the album will be turning 11 years old which is hard to believe, but nonetheless, this is one Belphegor album worth mentioning.

Cruzifixus – Anus Dei emerges with a boiling hate to start off the album. Also to mention that the opening portion of the song is taken from Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, in which the two Roman soldiers watching over Jesus in between torturing ridicule the “savior.” Thrashy, heavy, and an unrelentingly vicious tone set the stage early on the album. Many of the songs follow this intense formula, but Sepulture of Hypocrisy brings the album down to a slower state, still sounding very melodic, but pushing out more hard and heavy chugging riffs. Kings Shall Be Kings also delves into a slower approach as well later in the album, but Belphegor are still able to manage to arise with much vehemence.

One of the most standout songs on the album (if not one of Belphegor’s most recognizable songs), is Swarm of Rats. Keeping things intensified, and even warlike, this track is sure to torment the listener into a fury of melodic black and death metal ecstasy. Lucifer Incestus and Goatreich – Fleshcult was where the band’s production began to improve greatly over their previously released albums but there is still a lot to like in just about everywhere you look in Belphegor’s discography. Goatreich – Fleshcult is a very good place to start with the band if you are looking for a melodic, heavy, and thrashy ride through a hellish blaze of black and death metal.