Two years before THE COVENANT was releasing "Nexus Polaris" (fucking awesome album by the way) in which they first introduced industrial influences, there was the band that probably first introduced industrial influence in Black Metal with a much more direct and chaotic way. MYSTICUM with their first (and up until now, their only) release, "In The Streams of Inferno" decided to change the course of history. What they accomplished is simple and deadly: they managed to introduce a different influence to their music and in the process not only did they not lose in ferocity or black metal purity but added more weight and anger to their sound.

"In The Streams of Inferno" was first released back in 1996, MYSTICUM back then were signed to Deathlike Silence (Euronymous of MAYHEM owned the label), but due to the incidents surrounding the Norwegian Black Metal scene at that time they had to find another label to release their album. Thankfully for all the extreme Metal fans around the globe, Full Moon Records released their record and now Peaceville is rereleasing it, to remind us of times long gone.

From the menacing intro of the album you realize that this is not going to be pleasant and easy listening. But even that will not prepare you for the full force with which the album kicks in, that is when "The Rest" begins, with a relentless drum machine hammering constantly repeating beats, Black Metal guitars with the traditional riffing of the Norwegian Black Metal scene, vocals straight through hell (maybe even from the Devil himself?) and with the ingenious use of keyboards. Listening to the album can only be compared with an Out-of-Body-Experience while on crack. Songs like "Where The Raven Flies" and the majestic sounding "Wintermass" reveal the bands full potential while on the same time tracks like "Crypt of Fear" and the outro of the album "In The Last Ruins We Search for a New Planet" show how far ahead for its time, MYSTICUM truly was. Also on the reissue two bonus tracks are included, of which "Black Magic Mushrooms" (sick title by the way) is completely insane.

MYSTICUM managed something that other bands could only dream of. The used all of their out-of-Black-Metal influences to give them more aggression and make them more extreme, just compare the album with most of the Black Metal bands of that time and you will see that it is among the most extreme releases of the scene. The album was a game changer, if it was not for "In The Streams of Inferno", I am not sure if we would be listening to albums such as "666 International" by DODHEIMSGARD. My only question here is: WHY DID IT TOOK SO LONG TO ANNOUNCE A FOLLOW UP ALBUM??? Their new album is scheduled to be released in 2013 and with this reissue; I can only hope it is as good as "In The Streams of Inferno". I hope it turns out to be more than just wishful thinking and becomes reality.