To Mega Therion- The Blood Rituals

ARTIST: To Mega Therion

ALBUM: The Blood Rituals

LABEL: Vendetta Music

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 8-30-09

With their dark imagery, black metal atmospheres, and occult themes, you might wonder if To Mega Therion have made a deal with the devil. That seems unlikely; surely, with Satan on their side, it wouldn't have taken them nearly so long to get their debut out. Originally planned for release over two years ago on Sistinas Music, this EP was a casualty of the label going on hiatus; after it became apparent that it wasn't going to be released, project founder Tyler Viscerine even put it up temporarily as a free download just so people could hear it. Now, thanks to a new label deal with Vendetta Music, it's finally out officially. Was it worth the wait? In a word, yes. Viscerine ably mixes the over-the-top evil and gritty, reverb-drenched production of underground black metal with pummeling power noise rhythms for a perfect mix of atmosphere and brutality. Opening track "Purification Ritual" is dark ambient and full of distortion; with its slow metallic rhythms, it'd be the perfect accompaniment for a modern day industrialized black mass. "The Sermon of Setekh" really unleashes the demons; the distortion is so heavy it sounds almost like it's being played through a blown speaker. "Book of Enoch" is more overtly club-oriented thanks to its staccato snares, and "The Sons of Asmodeus" is perhaps the EP's most evocative offering, the fiends of hell embodied in its layers of feedback and looped shrieking. "We Are Immortal" moves briefly back to club territory with its sample-fueled power noise, and "The Brotherhood of Sleep" finishes things up with black metal guitar samples, high-BPM kicks, and a synth-string outro that recalls the Satanic horror films of the late '70s. Making up the second half of the EP are six bonus remixes, which range from fairly straightforward power noise tracks like Endif's "Sonofabitch Remix" of "The Sons of Asmodeus" and Alter der Ruine's "Pass the Collection Plate Remix" of "The Sermon of Setekh" to more experimental fare. Embodi gives "Purification Ritual" a tribal feel with a "Zombie A-Go-Go Remix" straight out of a black and white voodoo exploitation film, and Ah-Cama-Sotz offers up a "Be Commanded by the Gods of Fire Remix" of "Book of Enoch" that adds hard-edged breakbeats and a jagged synth lead. Fellow southern California noise artist Shane Englefield also shows up with two remixes. W.A.S.T.E.'s "Blood and Fire Remix" of "We Are Immortal" is about what you'd expect, a mid-tempo assault of bass-heavy power noise, but Vuxnut, his more experimental project, offers this EP's crown jewel: "The Final Judgement Remix" of "Book of Enoch," a dark ambient epic laced with electronic orchestral effects and lasting nearly 10 minutes. It's the perfect outro to the apocalyptic dance rhythms that precede it, a soundtrack to a scorched earth left in ruins by demonic drum machines and Satanic samplers.

Visit To Mega Therion on MySpace at www.myspace.com/tomegatherionmusic for song samples and more information.