When Black Metal arose from the dead in the 90's (because it disappeared from the Metal media at 1987), all the old Metal fans had to deal with the genre's new outfit. Today, we all know well the "ugly aesthetics", that putrid raw sonority that Varg Vikernes commented on the Black Metal documentary "Until the Light Takes Us". It wasn't only a way to record an album, but the entire way to be was set on those days, and Black Metal finally had an identity. And as an heir of a long story, the Austrian band ASPHAGOR comes unleashing a furious storm of chaos on "The Cleansing", their latest album.

Brutal and nasty, but with an excellent and technical outfit, and some blasting melodic lines, this quintet shares some musical similarities with their compatriots from ABIGOR, but not copying or following the same way. And their songs have some nasty elements from earlier Thrash/Black Metal from the 80's as well (especially when we speak of the German School). It's aggressive and really darkened, but created with an identity. On the sound quality of "The Cleansing", we can observe that the band made efforts to align something that our ears can understand with the crude instrumental tunes they wanted for the songs (something organic, I mean). And they achieved a good result, because sonority of the album is really very good, but with a 90's feeling on it.

"The Delphic Throne" with its explosive and brutal outfit (very good work from bass guitar and drums), the thrashing fury and great harmonies of "Sun Devourer" (what the guitars are creating is really great), the very good slow parts of "The Solipsist" (where the nasty shrieks of vocals fits perfectly), the morbid and oppressive feeling that fills "Ardor", and the wonderful melodies that can be heard on "Aurora Nocturna" and "The Cleansing" are fine examples of a very good band that deserves a lot of respect, and to be heard by extreme Metal fans. Then, I must say that ASPHAGOR deserves your attention, so listen to "The Cleansing", and be prepared for a new Black Metal invasion!