Archgoat
The Apocalyptic Triumphator

Many black metal bands like to stay under the radar. Some of them, like the Finnish Archgoat, refuse to use their real names, opting instead for Lord Angelslayer, Ritual Butcherer, and Sinister Karpinnen. But they have also taken the idea much further; after releasing two demos and an EP in the early '90s, the band began to argue with their label about musical direction—and instead of compromising, Archgoat simply severed their contract. The band then took an 11-year hiatus, claiming they no longer wanted to be involved in commercial black metal.

However, after several years, they eventually returned with the full-length Whore of Bethlehem in 2006, and The Light-Devouring Darkness in 2009. And now, after a six-year wait, they have released their third (and best) studio album, The Apocalyptic Triumphator.

The Apocalyptic Triumphator is a two-part album. Side A is the "Left-Hand Path" while Side B is the "Right-Hand Path." This is significant; theologically, the two paths represent a dichotomy in Western esotericism where the left means "black magic" and the right "white magic".

Archgoat clearly put a lot of effort into this distinction when writing an album formatted on Side A / Side B. Side A includes songs like "Nuns, Cunts and Darkness," "Phallic Desecrator of the Sacred Gates," and "Grand Luciferian Theopothy," while Side B includes songs like "Sado-Magical Portal," "Light of Phosphorous," and "Funeral Pyre of Trinity." Therefore, each side has its own theme and mood.

After a few too many listens, it all blends into a gripping work of blasphemy, blood, and explicit sexual allusions. Side A begins with a haunting organ intro, before blowing your mind out your ears with blunt metal. The intro to Side B, however, features some sounds of a very distressed farm animal before "Congregation of the Circumcised" soars into whirling blasts and volcano-like screams.

Overall, The Apocalyptic Triumphator is cohesive, consistent, and powerful with percussion that hammers you from start to finish. Archgoat has always been a fascinating and disturbing band that releases fantastic and powerful music, but this album is truly their consecration. Frankly, not listening to this CD would be a blasphemy on a level worse than what the band could ever hope to achieve.