GRAND BELIAL'S KEY - Kohanic Charmers
Weltenfeind
So early this year when I read that GRAND BELIAL'S KEY was finally putting out an album after seventeen years my reaction was why? Maybe there's some left over pictures from The Illustrated Bible that need corpse paint on the characters for an album cover? I doubt they have more blasphemy to rain on the listeners. We're talking about a US black metal band that went too far before it was considered too far. And yet they kept a status which was below underground levels. In other words this band couldn't fill a mid size venue.
Now don't get my lack of enthusiasm as an indicator of an upcoming opinion. I'm an average fan of GRAND BELIAL'S KEY. I've got their three full lengths. I also have the double CD comp with their first two demos which came out in 2017. Seriously that release must have pissed off the collector scum and Myspace morons of old. To those internet bullies, if you didn't own those demos then you weren't kvlt. Yeah I know, go fuck yourself punk!
But anyways GRAND BELIAL'S KEY are back. In truth it's long time guitarist Gelal Necrosodomy (aka: Alexander Halac) and bassist Demonic who are keeping this train going. Along for the ride is drummer Ulfhedinn who joined in 2009. Also there's vocalist Unhold (aka: Sven Zimper) who came on board in 2009 replacing Grimnir Wotansvolk (aka: Richard Mills) who died in 2006.
After giving this one a spin I went back and pulled out the band's last full length Kosherat from 2005 for a comparison. To the band's credit this new album is not a stretch from their last one. Musically it's basic 90's era low-fi black metal. Guitarist Gelal Necrosodomy has always been known for some slightly off kilter riff patterns. On here he keeps tossing in those twists and tweaks while stiff giving some good riff packages. Of course the bass playing follows suit.
Newer drummer Ulfhedinn, who's also the vocalist for the death metal band ARGHOSLENT, does a decent job. The same can be said of vocalist Unhold. His style is a low-fi harsh quality which he adds a few shrieks. In all honesty he's no Black Lourde of Crucifixion or the late Grimnir Heretik. Which brings me to the final verdict.
Kohanic Charmers is the long awaited return for this Virginia based USBM act. If you were a fan of them then well it's fuckin perfect. As for me it's been almost two decades and a bunch of kids from Bumfuck, Wherever could've recorded this and with some better production. This goes on the shelf.
LISTEN HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTvzL9bOaYI
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