Belphegor – “Torenritual” [Album Review]

Belphegor’s eleventh studio album displays a band with the master’s touch. This is death metal at its darkest and brutal best. Torenritual takes you on a sojourn to the macabre, guiding you through decrepit graveyards and into the tombs of demons all whilst ripping your head off with its intense brutality.

There’s a devious snarl bubbling through the entirety of Torenritual’s nine demonic tracks. Not only do you get the likes of vicious riffs, blast-beats, and Helmuth Lehner’s spectacular vocals, but there are also plenty of atmospherics that add an awesome amount of depth to the sound. Take “Totenkult – Exegesis Of Deterioration”, for example. Yes, it’s a lethally brutal track, but one full of nuance and plenty of atmosphere. This is a track that best showcases the death metal mastery of Belphegor. It’s evil and brutal, but a huge amount of fun to listen to thanks to a catchy central riff and a nice slice of experimentation.

Indeed, each track contains elements of experimentation and atmospheric moments. Torenritual is a smart, awesome death metal record. There are the ritualistic sounds found in “Embracing a Star”, the incredible guitar solo in “Swinefever – Regent of Pigs” and the chunky, brutal riff of “Spell of Reflection” to name but a few standout moments present in the release. Boiling the album down into a few moments is doing the whole piece a great disservice, however. Torenritual is an incredible collection.

You’ll spin this album again and again, it’s surprisingly easy to listen to, despite the smartness buried within. It’s a special slice of death metal that you won’t want to stop listening to. Torenritual is a masterful, deeply brutal and smart record.

Torenritual Track Listing:

01. Baphomet
02. The Devil’s Son
03. Swinefever – Regent of Pigs
04. Apophis – Black Dragon
05. Totenkult – Exegesis of Deterioration
06. Toenbeschwörer
07. Spell of Reflection
08. Embracing a Star
09. Torenritual

Run Time: 41:48
Release Date: September 15, 2017

Have some more time? Check out the lyric video for “Baphomet”