Have you guys ever heard of a band called Motörhead? Could you imagine what they would sound like if they went Black Metal and explored themes of Satanism and Witchcraft? Then look no further, for I present, PRINCIPALITY OF HELL! This band will take you back to those times of wishing you were in a biker gang cruising down Route 66 with their fast paced riffs as well as expressing their love for Black Metal themes.

As soon as the opening track "Fire & Brimstone" begins, after the crackling fire ceases, The Magus growls "Black Fucking Metal" as the first riff of the album commences. I can already sense the aggression in the song just from this opening section, and I realise I'm in for one hell of a ride. The Magus's vocals sound as if they are derived from a stereotypical devilish character you would see in a 90's Horror film, which adds a nice touch to the presented themes, it really makes their music sound evil Another aspect of the band I was impressed with was Maelstrom's drumming skill. Whilst his fills and beats may be repetitive, they are impressive and energetic, which suits the songs perfectly. Furthermore, in some points, his patterns are quite technical. For example, in "The Bleeding Nun", there is an off beat ride pattern that particularly caught my attention, catching me off guard as it made that whole section unique and pleasurable to listen to.  As far as the bass goes in this album...well...there is none. I suppose The Magus has used it yet it is inaudible and the whole production seems lacklustre. This also has an effect on the drums, as the kick is flat, mundane and just sounds...wet. This takes away some of the force and aggression that is surely noticeable in the album, yet they just haven't made full use of their resources. However, this doesn't go to say that I didn't enjoy this album. Songs like "The Witches' Coven" made me just want to bang my head and run in a circle like a lunatic, there is some real energy produced by this record!

Yet, after a while, the repetitiveness of the songs does start to become weary to listen to. There is a nice change in songs such as "The Hand of the Hangman" but the majority of the album just sounds similar to the track preceding it. Not to say that the songs are bad, I just think some more alteration in the style of the songs, as well as an improvement in the production, would make this album incredible to listen to.