Judas Iscariot
Heaven in flames

Judas Iscariot is the moniker used by the musical genius Akhenaten, or the man who dared to challenge the Norwegian scene and in some cases humiliate it, as for over 10 years now, he continues steadfastly to produce copycat albums, not giving in to any compromise while firmly remaining at the top of the so-called underground movement. This is thanks to truly historic compositions like the legendary Thy Dying Light or Distant In Solitary Night. But it is with this Heaven In Flames dating back to 1999 that the "evil" American manages to surpass himself, giving us 40 minutes of darkness, solitude, and pitch-black visions.

Getting into the details (after this introduction on our character), I come to speak of the album in question.
The production is perhaps one of the best ever heard in the black metal field. There's really everything for every lover of these sounds, starting with the guitars, raw and damnably dark yet never annoying, avoiding the much-hated/beloved mosquito effect. The bass and drums, while always faithful to tradition, are a bit subdued, whereas the vocal lines remain, for me, among the best ever heard in the history of this musical genre: insane, desperate, and so dark as to seem haunted (in some parts, it reminds me of the immortal "Attila Cshiar").
Examining the tracks individually would make no sense given the homogeneity and perfect inspiration of this work, but tracks like the opener "An eternal kingdom of fire" truly deserve a place among the best songs ever written in the pages of the most hardcore and intolerant genre in the metallic field (the main riff remains one of the best ever composed, listen to believe).
At some moments, it almost seems that even Darkthrone might tremble, afraid someone might take their place on the black throne. There is really nothing that lowers the tone, nothing boring, nothing dragged out too long (a weakness concerning a large number of even very valid groups). Every note, every cry of pain, every slowdown is in the right place and well-measured, and it almost makes you angry to hear so much perfection in a black metal record.
But anyway, how can one not be fascinated by the final part of another work of rare beauty titled "Before a circle of darkness" or by the slow litany of "From hateful visions"? Tell me!
Picking on minor details, perhaps the only flaw lies in the concluding tracks, which do not manage to reach the heights of the previous ones but remain far above average, so let's not be too fussy.

In conclusion, to anyone who claims to be a black metaller and does not already own this masterpiece, I highly recommend acquiring it because you certainly won't be disappointed!
Recommended for fans of: Darkthrone, Isvind, Burzum, Ulver