Watain - Casus Luciferi

WATAIN - Casus Luciferi (NOEVDIA - LP 2003)

„Casus Luciferi” is a second LP from the Swedish band Watain. And I believe this name is so well known to all fanatics of black metal, but not only, that they don’t need an introduction anymore. All in all, ever since the release of the debut or the second LP so much has happened around this band that nowadays they’re recognized like rock stars and as popular as an extreme metal band can only be. Watain still carries on their antichristian, satanic crusade, with new records… which for many are simply not quite as good as the early stuff. Well, I suppose it will always be an objective opinion of every individual, but personally I also think that the most interesting was the pre-big festivals period, when they were still more underground and known to only die hard maniacs. And „Casus Luciferi” may be actually their best effort from these early days. It may not be the perfect black metal record, but maybe it is a perfect Watain record, as it simply has everything what makes this band worthy.

“Devil’s Blood” is definitely the best song here. It actually belongs to my fave Watain songs at all, but it deserves that, for its truly killer riffing, which I could place somewhere between such bands as Ondskapt and Ofermod spiced with that unique style of black metal melody and arranging the songs known from Dissection. “Devil’s Blood” hits incredibly hard, it is fast, utterly aggressive, cold and evil when speaking of the atmosphere… but it is also kind of catchy, for its melody, excellent riff and vocals of E. A true masterpiece, if you ask me and killer opener. And with song like this you can really see how impressively Watain has matured and evolved from their wild and raging beastly debut LP. “Casus Luciferi” not only is way better recorded – and I really like the production of this album a lot! – but the music is simply more impressive. Take again “Black Salvation” and its savagery, untainted aggression and that mysterious atmosphere, which Watain creates in their music. And on top of all, there are simply some of the best lyrics I’ve ever read, with such lines as “Just as cancerous cocaine, deep in the veins of christ, the malignant curse divine floats within you all...” and “Ageless, eternal in grace. Behold the snake of temptation! Eyes gleaming with wisdom, tongues telling of truths inversed I have swallowed the hanged man's semen with necrophageous delight and let the Devil enter with all his might”. It’s all so powerful.

Generally “Casus Lucifer” is an album, which is built upon eight solid and even black metal anthems. Of corpse I have my favourites on the tracklist – and here I will definitely mention “Devil’s Blood”, “Black Salvation” and “From the Pulpits of Abomination” – but surely none of the songs could be seen as a filler or unworthy. I mentioned three songs, which I found as the most impressive and inspiring, but there are also such bestial anthems as “I am the Earth” and “Casus Luciferi”, which belong to the slower songs on the album, but have such an incredible, deep atmosphere and some more melodic, sometimes maybe even kind of melancholic parts, which I love as well. So, it’s impossible really not to get infected by “Casus Luciferi”. This is extremely good album, I love the ferocious, vicious sound of it, throat cutting riffs, as well as that evil, satanic, cold feeling, which this music is soaked with. “I am the earth, in the shadow of the Lord. A crucifix of flesh, yet sinfully adored”.

Standout tracks: “Devil’s Blood”, “Black Salvation”, “From the Pulpits of Abomination”

Final rate: 88/100