FATHER BEFOULED - Revulsion of Seraphic Grace (DARK DESCENT - LP 2012)
“…Reverence of inhumanity… Irreverent disgust
of holiness, towering cenotaph of demoncy. Pall of black divinity…”
The previous album of Father Befouled, “Morbid
Destitution of Covenant”, was truly an exceptional offering of darkness and
abhorrence towards the divine, all dressed in some of the most massive and
heavy sounds that the death metal scene has spawned ever since “Onwards to
Golgotha” was released. So you must understand that I just had to have great
expectations for “Revulsion of Seraphic Grace”, which is already a third full
length album from this exceptional, Chicago based band. And I dare to say that
Father Befouled did not disappoint and yet again delivered a stunning dose of
their obscure music. The vinyl looks truly impressive, I must say, the cover
artwork is just as blasphemous as it can only get and there’s really nothing
more to desire there (the LP includes a huge poster with the album’s cover).
To describe the sound of “Revulsion of Seraphic
Grace” I guess I would just need to use pretty much the same words, which I
have already used when I was reviewing “Morbid Destitution of Covenant”. Both
albums are really similar and “Revulsion…” definitely continues the style,
which Father Befouled has been developing on their previous recordings. To some
point that may even sound like they’re repeating themselves, as basically the
difference between both albums is very slim, if there is one at all. But I
guess sometimes there’s no need to change the winning formula, if you know that
everything works well and the maniacs appreciate your music. In case of Father
Befouled I definitely wouldn’t wish them to change too drastically, so if
“Revulsion…” sounds almost exactly like “Morbid Destitution…”, then it’s fine,
as both albums are great and these mammoth riffs, which Father Befouled plays,
are always killer.
What I always liked most about the music of
Father Befouled is the atmosphere, which they create. I really mean that, but when
you listen to it, then you just think of such words as utter darkness,
abhorrence, profanation, it almost feels like participating in some kind of ritual
of desecration, as the music really has “religious” feeling, but in the
sacrilegious meaning of this term. Well, just read the lyrics and such lines as
“a mockery of heavenly communion…”, “inveigle and suffocate the holiest words…”...
The heaviness of this music is overwhelming. While listening to it, you just
feel like the sounds were slowly crushing you and I can compare it to being in
a room, whose walls are slowly and slowly coming together, making less and less
space for you, so you know that finally they’ll squeeze you and you’ll die in
terrible agony. But what other feelings may accompany you, when something as
doomy and agonising as “Triumvirate of Liturgical Desecration” resounds? This
is a true soundtrack to apocalypse, an experience, which you’ll either find as
too suffocating and too monotonous or you will let yourself be dragged into
these catacombs, where the band performs their rituals and join them in
communion. The “love it or hate it” thing is usually pretty difficult to
review, I must admit. You immediately put yourself on one of the two sides, but
whatever you’ll write you must remember that there can be many people, who
simply won’t agree with you. Not that I care, but being as objective as I only
can I must say that I really like “Revulsion of Seraphic Grace” and just as I
worshipped Encoffination, I also worship this album. But unlike the
Encoffination stuff, which is slow in its entirety, Father Befouled makes sure
that their “Onward to Golgotha” influence is not only based on creepy, doomy
riffs and with such tracks as “Indulgence of Abhorrent Prophecies” and “Devourment
of Piety” they also incorporate a lot of fast parts, which are also as heavy as
death metal can only get. Forget though about the technical show off or hiper
blasting in the modern death metal style. Father Befouled plays like it was
1990 and what’s more – they’re good at it.
It must be said that with this sort of death
metal, where the playing is so utterly heavy and gloomy, without any additional
instruments, without any extras, but where the whole is based on brutal, either
slow or fast, but always powerful riff and deep, demonic growl, it is easy to
start to eat your own tail, repeat yourself and become just boring. Luckily
Father Befouled managed to avoid that and “Revulsion of Seraphic Grace” is
their triumph. This band, like not many others, has played this sort of death
metal in the rightful way and with passion, so I must definitely recommend
Father Befouled to all of you, who’re into the early Incantation and who also
like some of the other, present bands, of this style, like Encoffination, Disma
or Dead Congregation.
Standout tracks: “Indulgence of Abhorrent
Prophecies”, “Triumvirate of Liturgical Desecration”
Final rate: 80/100
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