Chaos, Bringer of All Revelations

Declarations of demonic intent don't come much more brazen than Horned God's positively terrifying second album, 2003's Chaos, Bringer of All Revelations. With its none-too-subtle artwork (featuring a nasty-looking goat-monster thing) preceding the music, any element of surprise is naturally left bleeding by the roadside; but then, what did you expect from a name like Horned God, a Pokemon character or something? Exactly, and it's not like these easy clues detract from the band's overpowering presence anyway, as they kick off this LP with a mood-setting introductory invocation before embarking upon crushing blastbeat crusades like "War Goes On," "Envenomed to Survive," and the accidentally funny "Slimy Embryo." Following in the wake of scene-leading countrymen Krisiun, Horned God tread the increasingly trafficked left-hand path linking death metal's tumultuous brutality to black metal's raw speed. As such, spectacular thrashings like "The Sheathed Sword," "Satan Isn't the Enemy of Men," and "Bloodshed (The Wisdom of Victory)" demand repeated spins before most listeners will completely appreciate their singularly bludgeoning glory. In the meantime, the daunting instrumental prowess required to perform them should provide entertainment enough. In the end, the only thing Chaos, Bringer of All Revelations doesn't accomplish is to contribute something truly new and original to this extreme musical subsect, but for sheer competent there's more than enough excitement — and promise to go around.