THE ARRIVAL OF SATAN have an incredibly raw, filthy sound that should appeal to a large number of Black Metal fans. This fiercely underground French band have stuck to their formula and sound since their formation in 1999. Over the last seventeen years, the band have released three full length records and a split with MORTE INCANDESCENTE. This method of taking their time with each release has paid off, and each of the bands records is a well thought out and impressive slab of raw, vitriolic Black Metal of the darkest and grimmest kind. Their latest album, "Passion, Sodomy, Terror", is the culmination of six years of work, following their much loved second record, "Vexing Verses". And trust me when I say this, it has been well worth the wait...

"Traitor Brigade" is a great piece of raw, abrasive Black Metal with a slimy, sludgy edge. It's got gnarly, tar-like bass lines, sharp and frightening guitars, and some incredibly hellish vocals. It's a really jarring and dissonant song that is raw to the point where it is, at points, mildly uncomfortable to listen to in the best of ways. It grabs your attention very early on, and gives an indication of the dark and eerie music that is to follow. The track that immediately follows it, "Worst to Come", is a much faster and aggressive affair, creating an impenetrable wall of sharp, fuzzy guitars, bass and vocals, along with some fairly vicious rhythmic drumming. Its sparse melodic touches and haunting performances on all fronts make this a really alluring piece of primal Black Metal fury. "Serpent Crawls" really ups the ante as far as dissonance and aggression goes; this is a ferocious, oppressively dark song with some truly hideous vocals, buzz saw guitar lines and authoritative, chaotic drumming. It also has that every present, raw and dirty tone that makes this song all the more intriguing. The interestingly named "Vagina" is a statement of fuzzy, bestial Black Metal at its finest. The intense, speed-driven and fierce approach of the music creates a thick, near impenetrable wall of noise that, at points, is a little uncomfortable to listen to, in the very best of ways. It's a short, sharp shock of ferocity that embeds itself into the listeners mind indelibly.

The second half of the record starts on a high note, in the form of "Lolita In Furs". This is an incredibly jarring, morose track that opens on some very disjointed, infectious riffs, before settling into a steady, visceral slab of music. Compared to the songs that preceded it, which tend to be more caustic in their musical approach, this song is a fairly straight forward, no nonsense Black Metal track, with a few biting riffs thrown in for good measure. "Sterile" again takes a much more classic turn, with dark, monolithic guitar hooks and ghoulish vocal lines combining to create one of the albums best tracks. It's a really coarse, primal affair that sounds excellent. "The Intruder", the albums penultimate track, is a whirling cacophony of sound, a sound that is at odds with the vocal arrangements on here, which are much softer, and sound almost orgasmic at points. There's a lot of effort placed upon the vocals, and they come across as really passionate, dripping with emotion and venom. This track does a great job of setting the listener up for the eighth and final, titular track; it initially only features some pattering drum lines and some creepy, sinister sounding vocals, but quickly begins to incorporate some really grim, turbulent guitar licks. It's a decent, if somewhat strange, song, and it helps bring the album to a close on a fairly frightening, dark piece of music.

This certainly isn't an album for the faint of heart. It's incredibly raw and depressive in tone, and this sound and production style suits the music down to the ground. Six years may seem an immense amount of time for fans to wait between records, but just one or two listens of this album conclusively proves that the time and effort that has gone into this music has definitely been worth it. If you like your Black Metal raw, dirty and abrasive, look no further than this record for your latest Raw Black Metal fix.