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

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