Deathspell Omega
Infernal Battles

Deathspell Omega made their debut in 2000 with this full-length. Those who discovered them by listening to the monumental "Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice" should not expect the same majestic, enveloping, and relatively innovative Black Metal from this debut album. The French band in this record plays absolutely Old School Black Metal, drawing inspiration primarily from Gorgoroth's "Pentagram," Darkthrone's "Under A Funeral Moon" and "Transilvanian Hunger," and at times from Mayhem's "De Mysteriis." However, despite these sources of inspiration being overused and overinflated, it's immediately clear that there is no lack of ideas and the album sounds very inspired. The cold atmospheres it manages to create are truly engaging.

The album consists of two parts with four tracks each: the first is the demo "Disciples Of The Ultimate Void"; the second, titled "Infernal Battles," would be the actual album. Listening to them in sequence, you immediately hear the difference, especially in the production. Strangely enough, the demo is recorded better, with a more "substantial" production than the album; the songwriting proves much more varied in its mannerism and overall appears less extremist. "Infernal Battles," on the other hand, is predominantly Darkthrone-inspired. This is due both to the recording, which is very "distant," especially the vocals, and the songwriting. For example, the track titled "The Ancient Presence Revealed" is, in my opinion, a tribute to the first four black pearls of the Norwegian duo. The initial cadenced riff is clearly a variation on the theme of "Under A Funeral Moon", the central part partly echoes "En Vid Ab Sorg", and it includes various breaks from the other two albums. The screaming is sufficiently harrowing to become an additional weapon for this album.

In short: if you're looking for something innovative and experimental, you certainly won't find it in this album. However, if you are a lover of Trve Black Metal Old School, this is an excellent album, well-played and well-recorded, very heartfelt and tastefully composed. Obviously misanthropic. I highly recommend at least a listen to those who belong to this second category.