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Hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed Leviaxxis demo, released earlier this year by W.T.C. PRODUCTIONS, fast-rising German black metal cult DYSANGELIUM unleash their highly anticipated debut album, Thánatos Áskēsis . As prefaced by Leviaxxis, the sound of Thánatos Áskēsis can rightfully be described as tyrannical: swift and strategic, roiling and rumbling, surging and striking, DYSANGELIUM exude a startling confidence and authority beyond their young years as a band. The nine songs here righteously uphold the banner of orthodox black metal, but the Teutonic quintet work in a dazzling array of dynamics and nuance, especially in the unique, authoritative throat of vocalist Sektarist 0: it's literally the mouth of HELL, and his bandmates follow suit with incendiary performances and muscular execution. Even the song titles - among them, "Gateways to Necromancy," "I Am the Witness, I Am the Servant," and "Words Like Flames" - back up these claims. Soon enough, DYSANGELIUM's Thánatos Áskēsis will be spoken of as a momentous record in the pantheon of pure-and-proud black metal.

1. dysangelium.com