Firstly, I would just like to say that I think this is the best album name I have heard in a very long time.

"For Satan And The Ruin Of The Divine" is the third full-length album to come from the evil minds of Costa Rican Black Metal gods ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRYO. There is a lot to be said about Black Metal in the 21^st century and the many varied directions it has taken. It would be easy to start getting into all of the things that are flawed with the genre now and how this band typifies this but I just don't care enough. I feel like the purist movement has detracted from honest efforts such as this and subsequently takes recognition away from some fantastic bands.

That said, after the first 20 seconds of the album I thought this was going to be terrible. It opens with such terrible force that it sounds almost like some bastard blend of Grindcore and Black Metal. The drums almost sounded out of time through their rapid blasting and the scream is like some strange interpretation of what Black Metal sounds like.

This didn't last though and I was pleasantly surprised when the music settled into its skin. I guess that's what this bizarre intro was, a demon wearing new skin and just trying to stretch it out to fit the misshapen bulk within. Once everything had levelled out it became apparent that this band ticks almost all of the boxes for making good modern Black Metal. The guitars are fast but understandable, with simple melodies lying throughout the songs instead of focusing on any kind of intricate riff work. The drums don't give a fuck and just merrily blast their way through the entirety of the album, occasionally chilling out for a few seconds whilst something else happens. The vocal work is exactly what I imagine when I think of Black Metal, sounding like a torn throat at the higher end of a mid range scream.

There is plenty of great keyboard work as well and this is perhaps the element that really brings up the biggest comparison for this band. Love them or hate them, the CRADLE OF FILTH sound behind these guys is very noticeable. I would say that ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRYO is everything CRADLE OF FILTH could have been if Dani Filth had a set of testicles instead of a cannibalistic vagina. There is plenty of atmospheric work on the keyboard involving strings, organs and mallet sounds and this really creates the depth that helps to make this band sound as good as they do.

The production is very good and this is probably what will put off a lot of the purists. If this kind of thing makes you not want to listen to the album then I would suggest simply covering the speakers in several layers of gaffer tape and then making a few small incisions through everything with one of your ceremonial knives. This should achieve exactly the sound you need.

All in all, ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRYO has managed to create a brilliant album that just keeps growing on you. If not a little sloppy at times, this really is a great example of what modern Black Metal can be.

Oh and did I mention the album has a fucking fantastic name?<