While Beherit’s early recordings became total cult items and the band has been praised incessantly to this very date, their brother band Black Crucifixion, hailing from the very same circles in northern Finland, never garnered the same amount of attention. The Fallen One of Flames is, nonetheless, an essential piece of the country’s black metal history along with the originators - namely Beherit and Impaled Nazarene - and on this recent re-release, the demo comes together with the live recording Satanic Zeitgeist that was recorded at the legendary Day of Darkness festival a year before The Fallen One of Flames’ release.
The Fallen One of Flames comprises five tracks of which three are actual black metal, starting with ”Flowing Downwards”, a lengthy feast on mid-paced, simple riffs reminiscent of Samael with subtle synths in the background. ”Master Spirit” is a faster, blast-filled piece and hence more clearly in the vein of Beherit, also due to the whispery vocals. ”Goddess of Doom” was originally a bonus track on the first 50 copies of the tape, but luckily it is included here as well as it is as strong song of muddy, evil black metal in a fitting, dirty soundscape.
For me, the best part of the CD is actually the live recording Satanic Zeitgeist. I’ve heard some criticism about the sound production here, but I can not fathom that: this sounds brilliant! I’d go as far as saying that it sounds better than the demo due to the sharper and tighter sound in which these swift songs work very well. As implied, the compositions are simple here as well and they profit from being enough short. ”Black Crucifixion” and ”Satanic Zeitgeist” are pretty damn great songs of utter morbidity and all that is possibly evil, most perfectly apparent when the blast beats get high in tempo and the vocalist does maniacal, high-pitched screams that bury everything else in the background. Needless to say, Venom and Sarcófago covers fit like a fist to the face to the slew of tracks here, and I’m especially fond of the latter, ”Nightmare”.
If you’re to explore what the history of Finnish black metal has to offer in its very first years, The Fallen One of Flames / The Satanic Zeitgeist is a logical purchase among the obvious ones. It convinces with its deep dark atmosphere and knows to crush with riffs. A worthwile re-release undoubtedly, and wholeheartedly recommended.
The Fallen One of Flames comprises five tracks of which three are actual black metal, starting with ”Flowing Downwards”, a lengthy feast on mid-paced, simple riffs reminiscent of Samael with subtle synths in the background. ”Master Spirit” is a faster, blast-filled piece and hence more clearly in the vein of Beherit, also due to the whispery vocals. ”Goddess of Doom” was originally a bonus track on the first 50 copies of the tape, but luckily it is included here as well as it is as strong song of muddy, evil black metal in a fitting, dirty soundscape.
For me, the best part of the CD is actually the live recording Satanic Zeitgeist. I’ve heard some criticism about the sound production here, but I can not fathom that: this sounds brilliant! I’d go as far as saying that it sounds better than the demo due to the sharper and tighter sound in which these swift songs work very well. As implied, the compositions are simple here as well and they profit from being enough short. ”Black Crucifixion” and ”Satanic Zeitgeist” are pretty damn great songs of utter morbidity and all that is possibly evil, most perfectly apparent when the blast beats get high in tempo and the vocalist does maniacal, high-pitched screams that bury everything else in the background. Needless to say, Venom and Sarcófago covers fit like a fist to the face to the slew of tracks here, and I’m especially fond of the latter, ”Nightmare”.
If you’re to explore what the history of Finnish black metal has to offer in its very first years, The Fallen One of Flames / The Satanic Zeitgeist is a logical purchase among the obvious ones. It convinces with its deep dark atmosphere and knows to crush with riffs. A worthwile re-release undoubtedly, and wholeheartedly recommended.
4 / 5
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