Dead Congregation – “Graves of The Archangels” – [Nuclear War Now! Product]

They’re four lads from Athens, Greece, with the stated aim of “[focusing] on lacking aspects in today’s death metal bands/releases: feeling, spirit, atmosphere and quality.” Whatever. Dead Congregation have been kind of a big name in the underground death metal scene one way or another since this record’s release in 2008. It’s incredibly blasphemous BLACK DEATH METAL, expertly played and produced: think Dissection, Belphegor and Varathron meeting at midnight in a graveyard to set Armageddon into motion via a great big sweaty muscly gangbang (no keyboards though). Epic phantasmal riffs and a galloping pace make DC one of those rare death metal bands I wanna describe as ‘Wagnerian.’ There are occasional doomy moments scattered throughout (e.g. instrumental A1, beginning of A5). There are also quite pretty (sampled?) passages of (Greek Orthodox?) plainsong at the beginning of B1 and near the end of B4– And check out the fuckin’ riffs on those two tracks! God damn. This music exudes an unhealthy glow as from the bottom of a deep pit full of, like, demons and what-have-you. If you’re on the metal thing this release is not to be ignored. Play it on Greek Orthodox holidays.