NOSVROLOK - The Luciferian Doctrine

Let me say right from the beginning... I fucking hate the so called USBM. Because all the bands and population there does, is trying to live up to a false stereotype of Black Metal, that grew somewhere in the late 90's. And of course not to mention all the bands that are nothing near Black Metal overall - Nacht'psychadelicbullshit'mystium. Or are just ass-lickers to Blasphemy (which are shit anyway) - Black Witchery. Or are just bad clones of Darkthrone - Judas Iscariot. And I even won't start on "depressive black metal" - Xasthur. And who the fuck are Krieg anyway? Hammer to the face of wannabe black metal fags (if you get the joke).

Whilst I listened to all of the above and many others, I found out to myself that US should stay with making Death Metal and Thrash Metal, which what they are good at (old school kind, not that plastic music that is produced nowadays). But Black Metal in US... Let's just say that some music is not made for some nations (and by some nations). Though from time to time it is very rare to find a band or an album that has not drowned in majority of below-average filled with stereotyped shit that is polluting and brainwashing the mob with stupidity. And this one specific example is for the US part: Nosvrolok - The Luciferian Doctrine.

Nosvrolok is basically one of those bands that you find by accident. However when you do, you manage to fall under the malefic curse of what they have to offer. While not listening to their debut album, I was quite shocked after hearing the first song The Illuminated. It starts with thunder and guitar opening that announces the tension that is to be present and is just growing as the song progresses. With raspy and deep vocals, it makes your skin hard as you listen to Ave! Ave! Ave Satan! After one song, I thought to myself that this must be coincidence - that a single song is that good. All else must be just fillers. Next song that comes, is Omnious Inane. For approximately two and a half minutes, we get the impression that we listen to Prayers from Deathspell Omega's S.M.R.C. What continues in Omnious Inane is pretty much standard Black Metal with bass that one can hear. By this time it is obvious that Nosvrolok were aiming to be with The Luciferian Doctrine a sort of a American version of De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas. Though not to be taken literaly, it does have some atmospheric similarities. One major flaw that I have on this album is but the following: the intro speech in the song Luciferian Doctrine. Honestly, I'm not a fan of such things, although I find Teitanblood's Qliphotic Necromancy excellent - because it fits in the entire album concept perfectly. But what we find in Nosvrolok, somehow reminds me on some intro from a mediocre medieval RPG video game. The most interesting thing I find on this album, is the song Silent Tomb. For not only it contains a solo, but also the entire lead guitar stands out - thus nothing is »silent« as it was entitled. Last psalm to (dis)grace us is Spells Of Ancient Sorcery. Here the reminder turns to paths of Darkthrone with it's primitive monotony, yet still not of that proportions as what I stated in the beginning about Judas Iscariot. And finaly we get to the second and last flaw of this album - outro! It drags for about 5 minutes with ambience and wolf howls and it becomes as annoying as the end of Funeral Mist's Hellspell II on the Devilry re-release. Cut it down to three quarters and it will be perfect.

All in all… This is a solid release with some flaws, but generally great. To think it comes from American soils. It is highly recommended, especially because it is a million to one shot - literaly.