MISOTHEIST: “Vessels by which The Devil is made Flesh”

Three years after its fervent and filled with blasphemous hatred second full-length opus “For the Glory of Your Redeemer”, Nidrosian black metal project Misotheist strikes again with organic and enticing dark atmosphere.
The musician’s familiar approach with an intro of playful riffs kicks off the album’s title track, ‘Stigma’, with more ethereal guitars soon giving way to rhythmic mid-tempo drums and denser rasping melodies surrounded by emotional charged growling vocals that flare up with each subsequent call only to dissolve back into the intense instrumental.
Traditionally, the album is again composed within three colossal tracks, as  each of them contains several key sections with different moods. From raw classic Trondheim madness to mysterious depths and primal fury, through melancholic soundscapes with cleaner atmospheric guitars and beautiful undertones, “Stigma” is a special beast that will completely blow you away with the filling riffs it offers to your sick ears.
And if you think that everything is like in the old Misotheist album and there are no special surprises – well, think again…
On the album’s title track, ‘Vessels by which The Devil is made Flesh’, you can not only hear B. Kråbøl erupting  to whole new heights and even hear a brief sneak peek of  clean vocals, but at some point you’ll witness a special moment where quite unexpectedly the occult spells of IX from the now inactive cult black metal band Urfaust make their way into space. The combination of Misotheist and Urfaust should be declared illegal, most likely because something more captivating has not been under my radar for a while. The combination of IX’s fascinating incantations and Kråbøl’s ferocious intense malice and polished fierce riffs is like a very strong, triple black coffee – it turns you around like a hurricane. And no – it’s not even the best of the best on this album. There is more.
The last track of the album is “Whitewashed Tombs” and from the very beginning of this long, almost 20-minute track, Misotheist’s volcanic subjugating madness absolutely detains the mind and leaves you weightless through captivating cutting and aggressive riffs surrounded by a frenzied roar!
Subsiding and resurfacing with inhuman malevolence, the beast rips mercilessly and can’t seem to get enough of coming out from different directions with new surprises, alluring you to  follow its  weighty footsteps. You will even hear ambient noises that give a cinematic nuance to the record – as if someone is digging a grave with a shovel, you will undoubtedly be impressed by the deep atmospheric motifs with various unexpected twists…
All in all, “Vessels by which The Devil is made Flesh” will keep you on edge and keep your fire going until the very last second, and I’m sure you’ll want to rewind the record over and over again  to confirm what you have heard at some sections. There are  elements which are so lightly hinted at, yet palpable to the experienced ear, that you will surely need at least a few listens to properly appreciate the beauty of the work in its full capacity.
Fierce, cold, yet truly haunting and atmospheric at the same time, “Vessels by which The Devil is made Flesh” is a profound, complex and diverse work, where you will hear raw production from the beating heart of Trondheim in its full northern and uncompromising  might. Passionate and pouring like a thick icy wave over the senses, this opus will remind you of the true meaning of black metal, fueling your curiosity and thirst for quality music.

For now, you can listen to the album’s title track, “Vessels by which The Devil is made Flesh”:

Album: “Vessels by which The Devil is made Flesh”
Band:  MISOTHEIST
Release Date: March 1st, 2024
Label: Terratur Possessions
Pre-order: https://bit.ly/3SKvzOT