Brief Blast: Lord Belial "The Black Curse"

Lord Belial- The Black Curse

Regain Records

Another promo finds its way to me after being covered by Crin at Live 4 Metal. This time around, it's "The Black Curse" by Lord Belial, a solid, if second tier, symphonic black metal act that has been quite prolific of late. "The Black Curse", released on Regain Records, is the band's eighth full-length since the band's inception in 1992, and is the quick follow up to last year's "Revelation- The Seventh Seal".

I haven't paid too much attention to Lord Belial over the years, mostly just hearing the odd song or two once in a while. Nothing done by the band has really stuck with me. However, I was rather surprised to find a nice mix of raw brutality and melodic, symphonic touches on "The Black Curse" that never seem to descend into mediocrity or tedium.

Although well produced with thundering depth, the guitars on "The Black Curse" retain a raw edge that give "The Black Curse" a, dare I say it, rather unique sound. In addition, the songs are catchy and well-written, and I would conclude that Lord Belial have delivered a very solid album, indeed.

You can read Crin's original review here.

Due to the symptoms of "life intrudes", I've had to skip a few shows lately. However, these are definitely on my list...