Finnish Black Metal has a particular form of evolution. From the days that BEHERIT and IMPALED NAZARENE launched its foundations in the late years of the 80's, things became more personal, so today it's not a sin to say that like the bands from England, Norway, Sweden, Greece, France and some other countries, bands from Finland has a personal and particular way that is a national form of the genre. So to hear a work as the one done by the duet MALIGNAMENT it's not a surprise, but "Hypocrisis Absolution" has its value, indeed.

Their musical work can be described as an Old School Black Metal from the 90's (with that crude approach used by names as DARKTHRONE and MAYHEM) with Finnish Black Metal DNA. It's truly raw and sharp, but with some personal features that enriches their music (as can be heard on some raw melodies heard on "Call to Arms"). It's nasty, harsh and morbid, and this album unleashes a violent and cold storming energy that will be impossible to a Black Metal fan to resist to their darkened touch. The sonority of "Hypocrisis Absolution" is what a fan can expect from an Old School Black Metal band: crude and putrid in a way that reinforces the morbid ambiences. Of course that it could be done in a better way, but it's not bad, having in mind that it'1s not hard to understand what the band is expressing (and one must have in mind: a sonority must fit on what the band does, so anything extremely polish could make things go on the wrong way).

"Thunder of Awakening" with its massive and nasty energy (fueled by abrasive guitar riffs), the sinister parts of melancholic melodies of "Call to Arms" (some different and unusual tunes on the vocals are really a good surprise on this one), the introspective and crude slow parts of "Like Rats They Followed" (where bass guitar and drums show their value, besides the tunes on both could be better) and on "Unforgiving North", and the crushing and hooking energy that flows from "And the Empires Will Fall" and "Bloodlust and Immortality" are the best ones to start the onslaught on the ears of your neighbors, but put the full album to play, and let the complains begin!

As "Hypocrisis Absolution" is just their first album, the duet really has a promising future. So it's a matter of time to MALIGNAMENT to be a driving force into Finnish Black Metal scene.