Between the dimensions of Black and Death Metal, there is a turbulent force whose mighty power is fed by the souls of the lost and is perpetuated the unquenchable thirst for turmoil and chagrin. Capitalizing on those factors, THE ORDER OF APOLLYON summon the pure destructiveness in their February 2015 album "The Sword and the Dagger." The passionate anger is spread thickly over this eleven-track dedication to the dark. It is all-encompassing in its sound and fits any aggressive, unrepentant mood. This is music that is intended to make a statement and uses no gimmicks to lure new listeners. If your anxious trek towards a cursed ritual site led you through a misted forest under a clouded moonlight as you were turned about looking for what might be lurking, you could expect to hear this as your auditory counterpart.

Do not anticipate any frills or other sonic extravagance. The direction and purpose of this album is clear and without mystery (though the soundtrack-quality material does invoke a sense of mystery on its own). The majority of the vocals possess an atmospheric quality, adding a panoramic effect to the landscape of the music. In terms of comparison, this is in the proximity of BEHEMOTH and VADER, the likes of which virtually set the standard for future bands in such a category of Metal. That style accounts for the majority of this album, though in the third track "Our Flowers Are the Sword and the Dagger" I heard slight tinges of an industrial sound, similar to FEAR FACTORY, which made for a nice additional note.

Other accounts worthy of note, include the rather Middle Eastern-sounding intro to "Al 'Ankabout." The tiny cymbals and sitar-style strings are a fitting backdrop to the chanting female vocal line. This didn't strike me as a gimmick, but was used as a tool to propagate the tone conveyed by the title, which invoked the thought of it as having a NILE influence behind it. Aside from that, there are the instrumental "soft" tracks (serving as the album intro and interlude) in "I Own The Youth" and "Chants of Purification."

There is without a doubt a haunting quality evident throughout the album. Though it is intensely brutal-sounding, it serves also to demonstrate the capabilities of the band's members, particularly the percussionist who is one of the most impressive I have heard in recent days. I am pleased that this album was released on Listenable Records, as it lives up to its label's namesake. No bones about it, though this album isn't necessarily groundbreaking, THE ORDER OF APOLLYON has got all of the fundamentals down to a science. Any good, objective Metal critic will agree with that!<