Justus Ex Fide Vivit + Unholy and Unlimited

Fittingly for a band named after the three-pronged Mountains of Oppression from Tolkien's Silmarillion (from whence the fearsome Morgoth mercilessly tortured the people of Middle Earth), Israel's Tangorodrim have often been accused of tormenting listeners with their bludgeoning, intentionally under-produced, old-school black metal revival. But there is a market out there for this seemingly counterproductive approach, believe it or not, and, within those parameters, the mysterious band's fourth release, 2007's Justus Ex Fide Vivit, should fulfill most expectations. Those being bottom-drawer recording techniques geared to maximize the raw, primitive sound therein; thus rendering dark invocations like "Cold Flame of Death," the title track, and (don't laugh) "When Heirs of the Horned Shamelessly Attack" as retro-authentic as the earliest black metal works of Bathory, Venom, Hellhammer, et al. The latter's influence is particularly evident throughout, and lends additional flavor (including a Thomas Gabriel Warrior-patented "Oooh!") to standout track "No Light," with its foot-tapping groove and nifty hi-hat punctuations. Even this release's shortened running time of less than a half-hour is probably premeditated because it suggests that Tangorodrim got kicked out of the studio for refusing to tune their instruments. In any event, Justus Ex Fide Vivit is just what the doctor ordered for primal black metal fanatics, in league with Tangorodrim's unconventional philosophy.