Band: Subliritum
Title: A Touch Of Death
Label: Battlegod Productions
Distribution: Twilight Vertrieb / Bertus / Sure Shot Worx
Release date: April 15th 2011
Review: CD

Norwegian Black-combo Subliritum are back, finally. During the first half of this century, Subliritum released a full length (Dark Prophecies, 2001) and a mini-CD / EP (Dark Side Of You, 2004), and then things went (too) silent. Until now… Silence raped by Armageddon…
A Touch Of Death was recorded by permanent and session members Jonas (v) and Kristian (b, k) Moen, Sverre Berntsen (g; Bloodthorn), Dag Leistad Müller (g) and Vegard ‘Vyl’ Larsen (d), with guest vocals by Thebon, Vyl’s colleague in Keep Of Kalessin. It gets released by the Australian label Battlegod, which did bring out some exceptionally strong releases lately (think: Harkonin, Antares Predator, Harm, Dark Order etc.); and since there seems to exist a (recently signed?) distribution and promotion contract with Twilight for Europe, North America and Japan, it won’t be completely impossible to find a copy to steal or buy…
A Touch Of Death (35:39) is made by Norwegians and indeed it does sound Norwegian. The sound, for example, comes with the very same grimness like many bands from Norway that perform so-called Nordic Black Metal. Subliritum do it with a melodic and technical performance, adding a rather modern touch to the Second Wave-ish obscurity – modern, like the addition of the clean vocals, very 21st-century-alike. The songs are based on energetic rhythms with an up-tempo speed, and it comes with a very modest Post-Black approach and technical instrumentation with a subtle yet fine link to Thrash and Death Metal (several riffs, rhythm structures and solos).
Even though this band does not just copy any colleague and despite some refreshing ideas, Subliritum do lack of an own face. The quartet find clear inspiration within the spheres where acts like Ragnarok, Thyruz, Old Man’s Child, Keep Of Kalessin, Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir and Tulus dwell.

75/100

Ivan Tibos.