The Last Supper＜Colored Vinyl/限定盤＞

Though it originally saw the light of day (or depths of eternal night, as it were) in the bands native Austria way back in 1995, Belphegors The Last Supper was only given a proper international release in 2001, when it was reissued by the underground metal experts at the World War III label. Also packing six bonus tracks culled partly from Belphegors ultra-rare Obscure and Deep EP, this disc serves as a good summation of the bands early material, boasting challenging, uncompromising, Scandinavian-inspired black metal. Despite their elaborate titles, songs like "A Funeral Without a Cry," "The Rapture of Cremation," and "In Remembrance of Hate and Sorrow" feature generally indecipherable vocals, but these are perfectly fitting with Belphegors sonic barrage of fierce, detuned riffs and slightly sub-blast beat drums. Among the bonus cuts, a deathly rendition of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and a cover of the lesser-known Sodom "classic" "Outbreak of Evil" take the cake. Overall, this is a competently executed album, but not very memorable or original. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia