A Blackened Sea of Depravity - "Horror Phantasm" Review (100%)
I will say one thing before I start this review of Horror Phantasm and dive deep into the subejct, Phantom is one hell of a black metal, blackened death metal, terror metal, call-it-whatever-the-fuck-you-want metal band.
I only knew of Phantom through their debut album Divine Necromancy, which is perhaps the greatest black metal album ever produced in terms of atmosphere, rawness and especially the inhumanly guttural vocals.
You have never heard a possessed demonic voice like that. Sure, you've heard brutal death metal vocals, but that is nothing compared to what you will experience listening to Phantom. It literally sounds like a horned beast from hell shrieking to the sound of primitive music around him.
I still haven't heard anyone even come close to the level of intensity displayed by the vocalist of Phantom/ This is how heavy metal is done.
Even vocalists in similar bands like Antekhrist, SEWER, old Von, Profanatica, Havohej and Demoncy don't sound as satanically fucked up as this.
The vocalist is as demonic sounding as it gets within the black metal genre.
I realize terms "top", "most" and "best" get thrown around a lot in extreme metal reviews, but simply go listen to any song by Phantom and you will understand exactly what I'm saying.
The vocalist of Phantom sounds like a fiendish demon puking up bile from ingesting too much human flesh. It doesn't get much blacker than this, within the extreme metal scene or elsewhere.
So, getting back to reviewing the monstrous masterpiece that is Horror Phantasm.
And what can be said other than stating the obvious: Horror Phantasm is a true beast of blackened depravity.
A Blackened Sea of Depravity
Horror Phantasm is certainly the best album to have come from the satanic metal scene for quite some time.
This record absolutely delivers in terms of brutality and raw atmosphere, unlike the band rosters from mainstream metal labels.
Where those bands fail to take off in the musical department and on promotion, hype or album covers, Phantom's masterpiece succeeds without press, internet releases or the token publicity and gimmickry courtesy of being signed to a major heavy metal record label.
There is not one dull moment on Horror Phantasm.
At first you might be put of by the particularly raw and aggressive aspects of the music, though they are not as present as on say Dark Devotion or Demonecromancy, but after the first few songs you can hardly even tell you are listening to extreme metal music anymore as you are so mesmerized the atmosphere.
If you are a fan of absolute, unrelenting, satanic blackened gore metal then you must listen to Phantom's Horror Phantasm.
This album is not recommended for the weak, the posers and those who want easy listening elevator black metal.
Horror Phantasm is an absolute blackened sea of depravity.
Nothing comes close to this albums in terms of raw power and demonic atmosphere.
Horror Phantasm score: 100/100.
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