Review / 200 Words Or Less
Glorior Belli
Manifesting the Raging Beast

Southern Lord (2007) Kevin Fitzpatrick

Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast cover artwork
Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast — Southern Lord, 2007

See: Obscurus Advocam

Just kidding. But let's face it. They are pretty interchangeable, no? Both bands are the vision of French musician Infestuus. Both bands are all just too melodic. Now, call me old-fashioned but melody has no place in black metal. Bleak, sure. Twisted? Frightening? Suffocating? These are all bad adjectives for relationships, yet all good adjectives for heavy music.

All musicians perform admirably there's just an edge that's lacking that castrates any chance the album ever had. Blastbeats abound, to be sure, but there's more needed that can't be found no matter how many repeated listens the buyer can stomach. Okay, okay if you find Naglefar or Striborg too atmospheric, Glorior Belli may be more suited to your needs, but allow me to steer you to the OG's of the genre that have introduced melody to their sound over the years: Darkthrone, Immortal, and Mayhem, to name a few (though not the newest Mayhem disc they're scary again). Look, I'm trying to do you a favor. This isn't what I'd necessarily call a "bad" album, but there's better music out there to be heard. Seek and ye shall find.

Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast cover artwork
Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast — Southern Lord, 2007

Related news

Agonia signs Glorior Belli

Posted in Labels on June 1, 2013

Metal Blade adds Glorior Belli

Posted in Bands on May 24, 2011

Recently-posted album reviews

Nocturnal Prose

Western Interests
Total Agency (2026)

I’ve been reading Cory Doctorow’s latest book “The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI” a scathing review of the current state of artificial intelligence wherein he seeks to pop the AI bubble. In the book’s central metaphor Doctorow identifies the centaur as someone whose work is improved upon by technology vs the reverse centaurs who are competing with and/or … Read more

Kyle Burnett

Glory Days
Syrup Moose Records (2026)

There’s a form of folk punk that treats every song like a drunken campfire confession with all its ragged shouting and romanticized self-destruction. Then there’s the version that feels mature and more reflective. It’s less interested in glorifying collapse and more concerned with figuring out what comes after it. Kyle Burnett’s Glory Days firmly belongs to the latter category. Best … Read more

Rufio

From The Outside
Double Felix Records, Double Helix Records (2026)

“Rufio?! Like from back in the day Rufio?” Those were the words out of my mouth while claiming my next review. I wore out Perhaps, I Suppose as a teenager and my curiosity piqued. It has been 25 years since that album was released and 16 years since we have heard from Rufio at all. Regardless of these facts, we … Read more