By Jonathan Smith
Hailing from Kragujevac, Serbia, Triumfall are a black metal band in the satanic lyrics, corpse paint, and smeared blood tradition. This is their mandate, and they absolutely run with it. Antithesis of All Flesh is the band’s debut full-length album, one that has its unique moments but that doesn’t necessary distinguish itself from the horde of similar acts that are looking to recapture the sound of bands like Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. Opening track “Atrium Mortis” is a lengthy and largely unremarkable mood-setting piece. Triumfall’s strengths come to the surface on both “One With The Darkside Eternal” and “Omega Overcasts The Presence.” These tracks, with their memorable patterns and riffs, are the stuff for which this class of black metal is still known and appreciated. Phantom’s keyboards add a background element that works for the better, but it’s the guitars and Atterigner’s vocals which are the frontline. Compared to the rest of the drums, the blast beats are muted in the background, which takes away from some of the rhythm section’s punch. Antithesis of All Flesh has more to offer when one is in the mood for and familiar with this kind of core black metal; its uncompromising tone and sound offer little guidance for the those who are just curious. As such, it sounds too familiar at times. While those burnt out on their black metal will probably want to stay away for now, sub-genre aficionados will find things they enjoy in Antithesis of All Flesh. It’s the bigger black metal fans, in all likelihood, that Triumfall are aiming to attract in the first place.
(Regain Records/Forces of Satan Records)
Rating: 6.0
