The Seal of good music
The problem with black metal these days is that a lot of it sounds like itself. Bands like Dimmu Borgir, who tried to add something new, often fail miserably, and the whole genre has started to stink of tackiness, as opposed to rotting meat...
Thank Satan for Lord Belial, then! "The Seal of Belial" doesn't resort to the typical stupidly-fast drumming & guitar combo, nor does it just put the vocals so loud you think you're actually listening to construction workers. This music pushes forward a genre that has been stuck in the mud for so long, and there's serious promise here. No songs on the album feel like fillers, and if Lord Belial said "We're going to play this whole album live and nothing else", well, I'd sure as hell get myself down there.
'Sons of Belial' and 'Abysmal Hate' are two songs on this album that really stood out for me, because they're as far away from the typical Black Metal as they can be. Lord Belial are pushing the boundary and leaving other bands gasping for breath in their wake. Also, Lord Belial don't wear corpse paint! I love a band that can lay waste to your ears and not look like badgers in the process!
According to the press release, Lord Belial are Black/Death metal, and I couldn't agree more. There's strong Black Metal influence in here from the older Black Metal bands, especially a Mayhem influence. Yet at the same time Death Metal definitly shines through in some of the guitar and, interestingly, the drumming.
Lord Belial are a breath of fresh air to Black Metal. With bands like Cradle of Filth currently driving the genre, it's obvious it needs a change, and quickly. I know I'm hoping Lord Belial vocalist Thomas Backelin can replace Danni Filth, screaming idiot from Cradle of Filth!