Band: Temple Of Baal
Title: Lightslaying Rituals
Label: Agonia Records
Distribution: Sure Shot Worx
Release date: 31/12/2009
Review: CD

The French Satanic horde Temple Of Baal was formed more than ten years ago and throughout the last decennium, they did record several studio recording (both full lengths as well as several splits with bands as Aosoth, Sargeist or Ancestral Fog). All of them were received with passionate pride and diabolic pleasure within the blackened undergrounds, not only in their home country yet also in several other (European) countries. Not only the members are pretty experienced (think about their other bands or session / guest assistance to, for example, Deviant, Glorior Belli, Antaeus or Hell Militia), but the quality of these recordings is just superb. And again I cannot but pronounce my appreciation for the French underground scene…
Lightslaying Rituals is the band’s third studio full length, which lasts for forty minutes. The recording isn’t that different from Temple Of Baal’s former material and that’s just fine – why changing a winning team, not?! More specific it means that the album consists of fast and energetic hymns with a deadly and blaspheme-misanthropic atmosphere, pounding rhythms, deep growls and an overwhelming, hammering sound. …the latter standing for a concrete wall of annihilation and decimation.
The quality is high, or better: I think it is superb. Every single track convinces, the song structures aren’t too experimental but they’re written, composed and performed with craftsmanship, and the darkened spheres lift the whole up to the most abysmal level of hatefulness and unholiness.
One remark however: sometimes the tracks do sound ‘alike’. No, it doesn’t mean they do copy themselves time after time, but the individual efforts seem to be inferior in comparison to the whole. But it can’t be a ‘problem’ because some pieces are different (including some splendid slower parts!), the average quality is more than satisfying, and, well, we’re talking about Temple Of Baal, all right?!...
…and the Devil saw that it was good…

88/100

Ivan Tibos.