Flo

   Woods Of Belial are a Finnish trio, composed of Wohi, Blood and Horned Black, that gathered in '95, and play eerie Black Doom in the blackest vein. WOB released their two first Demos on Meat Hook Productions, "Thy Unholy Pentagram" in '96, and 'Baxabaxaxaxaxabaxaxaxaxa! 666 Yndstr Draconis' in '97.
   After several delays and unsuccessful deals with several labels, the band finally complete their full length "Deimos XIII", that is released this winter on the Finnish label Firebox Records. Misanthropic Propaganda productions also released this present tape in 2003, gathering the 2 first demos of Woods Of Belial with an excellent sound and a pro layout.
   The first "Baxabaxa...! 666 Yndstr Draconis" demo is composed of 3 long tracks of Black Doom, played in a very depressive yet morbid style. The first "Lunar Triumphator of Evil" is opened by an eerie intro shaped by cavernous vocals and muffled yet industrial tones that go in crescendo. The doomy tempo is deepened by sparse and tormented screams, and some dark noise in the background that build more elaborated and catchy tunes than Abruptum and add a constant groove to the tracks. The vocals alternate echoed voice and painful screams, thickening the tormented yet frightening atmospheres that remind of a crypt haunted by damned souls.
   The second "Into the Woods of Belial" begins with muffled saturated riffs and vocal tones, an agonising vocal style darkened by more incisive screams. The slow tempo, raised by the heavy main riffs and beats, is boosted by the short accelerations of the drums beats, and this track is also enhanced by a short satanic mess, and a marked melody in the second part. The last "Pervertum..." is an instrumental and experimental tune that sounds like a slow machinery, with muffled beats and tones, echoed vocal buzz and suffocating and muggy atmospheres that remind of Hellraiser.
   The second demo "Thy Unholy Pentagram", also composed of 3 tracks is played in a faster and grim Black Metal style, with more aggressive tones. The first "Black Vampyyr" begins on a slow tempo, sparse tormented screams and marked sparse beats played with a dry sound. More sustained beats overtake the track, and the eerie screams are alternated with an echoed male voice, until a very fast yet brutal tempo raised by noisy riffs and a dry drumming. A catchy mid tempo raises the second "Winter Darkness of Ahti...", played in a darker style, with a good guitar sound, and a main depressive melody enhanced by almost spoken vocals. The last and faster "Forest of the Evil Pentagram" is a grim and hateful BM track, marked by fast riffs and a sustained battle drumming. The varied vocals alternate echoed spoken male vocals with painful lamentations worthy of the purgatory.

Flo

CHAOSEMPIRE