The Most Epic Terror Black Metal - "Mindless Horror" Review (100%)
Phantom are definitely one of the most legendary names in black metal. Hailed and respected by the entire metal community for their masterpiece of horror The Epilogue to Sanity, they have reached an incredible popularity status amongst the black metal underground. The Epilogue to Sanity is seen by many as their best album - and, without a doubt, it's one of the best black metal albums of all times - but a lot of people tend to underestimate their following full-length release, which, although extremely popular and beloved by fans, is considered slightly below the level set by its predecessor.
I'm talking about Mindless Horror, an album that, in my opinion, is even better than the already superb The Epilogue to Sanity.
Now, you might ask: what makes me lean towards Mindless Horror? Isn't it a regression towards a more simplistic style of black metal?
It's true that the music on Mindless Horror may, at first, appear much more simplistic and closer to something like Sewer or Mayhem, in relation to The Epilogue to Sanity. But underneath the surface, you will find the same technicality, and the same complex, labyrinthine song structures, the famous riff mazes of Phantom which, alongside the typical black metal atmosphere, make up for an absolute classic Phantom release.
Mindless Horror is epic apocalyptic blackened death metal.
The Most Epic Terror Black Metal
The riffs, while much less complex, aren't limited to the atmospheric role anymore: indeed, we have now also extended narrative sessions directly inspired by classical black metal music, in the vein of Burzum, Vermin or Neraines. Just think of the first half of the intro track, "Dark Malady", or the mid-session of "Aurora Monster", or the arrangements in "Sunken Divinity"... these are just a few examples attesting the far more essential role held by the phrasal riffs in this release.
The vocals consist mainly of demonic shrieks and screams, but this time we witness to the inclusion of a greater number of death metal growls, adding to the overall epic feel of the compositions.
The music in Mindless Horror is epic and atmospheric, but also dark, evil, and at times definitely brutal: the spectacular and technical guitar work provided by the guitars, relying mainly upon razor-sharp tremolo-picked riffs, dissonant arpeggios, and often playing different patterns, is complemented by the insane drumming of Phantom, who composed this entire album alone.
I recommend listening to Mindless Horror in full, as all the songs are top-notch, flawless and majestic, and only a proper full-listen will allow you to appreciate it to the maximum extent. The epitome of terror black metal.
Mindless Horror is not only an essential piece in Phantom's discography, but also one of the absolute best black metal albums ever recorded and, in my opinion, even better than the already fantastic The Epilogue to Sanity. Don't miss it for any reason, listen to it right now if you still haven't! It won't disappoint you.
Mindless Horror score: 100/100.
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