"Gouging the Eyes of Angelic Purity" is the demo release of the Irish Death/Black Metal band, CRUCIFIXION RITUAL.  Though no members are actually listed, there are two photographs included of musicians; thus, it is safe to assume this is a duo.  The demo consists of three songs that truly bring a new meaning to the word raw.

I am a fan of a wide swath of underground Extreme Metal from old school Black Metal to Doom to Death/Grind and all points in between.  There are limits, however, to one's patience when it comes to a band's "brutality".  Lacking some form of structure, melodic rhythmic, harmonic, it seems little can be taken away after listening.  From the earliest Hardcore albums of BLACK FLAG and AGNOSTIC FRONT to MAYHEM's "Deathcrush," all of the above contained songs that served a purpose, a central theme beyond pure shock value though that was certainly integral to such underground masters' collective ethos.

If the reader has made it this far, then it is painfully obvious what my impression of this band has been.  The title track opens things up with what is practically unintelligible noise.  Seriously, things just bleed together and the sound quality's atrocious nature simply does not help.  Between the first and second tracks, there is little variation whatsoever.  In fact, it is the most arduous of tasks to differentiate between the two.

At this stage of my Metal life, I care not whether my cred is called into question.  I am comfortable with my listening tastes, diverse as they are, and will staunchly defend my preferences.  This demo, however, is uniformly and singularly an overwhelming disaster, a travesty.

"Ritual Bludgeoning," the final track, offers the only reprieve from the chainsaw/white noise debacle that ensued from the beginning.  The break comes via some orchestrated hybrid parts and some slower riffs.  Just as I began to settle into the groove, CRUCIFIXION RITUAL was brewing up, the band reverted back into the anarchic carnage that reigned throughout the former two-thirds of the record.

Simply put, this should not be released.  The closest thing I can liken the record to is placing a cheap mic in the center of the room at a rehearsal space and recording through a boom box.  I've actually heard and made better recordings as such than this pile of garbage.  It is really difficult to ponder which niche end of the scene will dig this demo. Just look elsewhere!