Review by Felix on November 8, 2022.

Does it make any sense to deny the obvious? To say "it's not what it looks like?" when you are caught having sex with someone else by your own partner? I think it's better to tell the full truth right away. That's why I'm admitting it right now, at the beginning of this review: the more I know from Mavorim, the more I'm on the way to becoming a fanboy.

The band’s contribution to this split is excellent. I agree that the intro is not very relevant, but the three regular songs impress with their close-to-perfection approach. No, Mavorim do not show the harshest black metal approach and their guitars avoid any hint of iciness. So climate change has at least partially reached black metal. But their compositions inspire with a flawless flow. Apart from the one or other acoustic break, the driving character of the pieces leaves nothing to be desired - and of course the breaks are also quite skilfully set. In addition, few but highly efficient riffs unfold. The one of 'All Meine Seelen' immediately takes the listener on an overwhelming journey after the atmospheric intro. The mighty force of such pieces can only be broken by those who are able to stop a moving train by sheer force of will, but I honestly don't know many people with that ability.

Yes, there are some moody keyboards to find here. They send discreet greetings from someone far away, he calls himself Rob Darken. Nevertheless the guitars and the throaty (and in rare moments clean) voice shape a sound which has not much in common with that of Graveland – just to avoid misunderstandings. Along the way, Mavorim show how to build a song perfectly. From the first notes of the warm, soulful guitar to the highly intense double bass whipped rhythms before the first verse, 'Ein Fluch Ward Uns Geschenkt' ascends in an ingenious way (and its metaphorical lyrics are also great). I don't know in which book with seven seals you can read this, but Mavorim have a phenomenal feeling for melodies and for how much space you have to give them. Their harmonies reflect aggression, melancholy, despair and triumph. And it certainly seems unimaginative when I string together one praise after another, but the coherence of the individual pieces also makes me dream of the black metal paradise. So we get three fantastically designed songs, competently produced (without dirt, but always with an uncomfortable undertone) and masterly executed. From my point of view, 'Ein Fluch Ward Uns Geschenkt' marks the best part of this triumvirate, but 'Tod Und Teufel' and 'All Meine Seelen' also hit the bull’s eye. So it’s 90% for Mavorim who show some lazy guys in the global scene that it is possible to release high quality music every year. (Lord Ahriman, Demonaz, do you sleep well?)

Ad Mortem? Oh, that's right, they're still around. And how! They are closer to the typical style of the subgenre. As soon as the intro ends, their guitars embody brutality, the machine-like drums praise Lucifer and the performance of the lead vocalist indicates that his circle of friends is rather small. The vile melodies are not completely on the Mavorim level, but still (very) good. The same applies for the mix. It is less differentiated, the single instruments are not quite cleanly defined, but I write about black metal and not about the lullaby at the annual overnight party in the kindergarten. Nose closed when picking up your child the next morning!

Ad Mortem love to take a bath in extremely murderous sections. For example, 'Schwarzes Blut (Excitium I)' has some mega-intensive parts. No doubt, if you play this song in Eastern Europe in front of one of these numerous, larger-than-life monuments to communist “martyrs”, they crumble to dust in minutes. But I guess this action would bring you directly to the next dungeon – and this leads me directly to the short yet homicidal “Kerker” (= dungeon), another brutal, straight and prisoners-hating eruption. Forgive me, but once again, I do not identify any filler here. Entirely the opposite. While I take the precaution of writing Ad Mortem's first long-playing record, not yet published, on my shopping list, the horde from Saxony skilfully rushes through the back areas of their self-created hell. A little Grabak, a little Vargsang, why not? The calm outro provides enough room to rest. 80% for Ad Mortem, who turn out to be a worthy partner of Mavorim – and this says a lot.

To sum up, this split shows two different styles of black metal and this is a good thing. Mavorim and Ad Mortem are crossing the blades and the listener is the winner. Two very similar bands do not need to join forces in order to release a split that leaves a more homogeneous overall impression than a typical Graveland or Bolt Thrower album. Given this double strike, German black metal patriots can be proud of the Teutonic scene and now I leave. I have to listen to Iudicium Ultimum again, naturally in total darkness to avoid any form of distraction.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on November 8, 2022.

Does it make any sense to deny the obvious? To say "it's not what it looks like?" when you are caught having sex with someone else by your own partner? I think it's better to tell the full truth right away. That's why I'm admitting it right now, at the beginning of this review: the more I know from Mavorim, the more I'm on the way to becoming a fanboy.

The band’s contribution to this split is excellent. I agree that the intro is not very relevant, but the three regular songs impress with their close-to-perfection approach. No, Mavorim do not show the harshest black metal approach and their guitars avoid any hint of iciness. So climate change has at least partially reached black metal. But their compositions inspire with a flawless flow. Apart from the one or other acoustic break, the driving character of the pieces leaves nothing to be desired - and of course the breaks are also quite skilfully set. In addition, few but highly efficient riffs unfold. The one of 'All Meine Seelen' immediately takes the listener on an overwhelming journey after the atmospheric intro. The mighty force of such pieces can only be broken by those who are able to stop a moving train by sheer force of will, but I honestly don't know many people with that ability.

Yes, there are some moody keyboards to find here. They send discreet greetings from someone far away, he calls himself Rob Darken. Nevertheless the guitars and the throaty (and in rare moments clean) voice shape a sound which has not much in common with that of Graveland – just to avoid misunderstandings. Along the way, Mavorim show how to build a song perfectly. From the first notes of the warm, soulful guitar to the highly intense double bass whipped rhythms before the first verse, 'Ein Fluch Ward Uns Geschenkt' ascends in an ingenious way (and its metaphorical lyrics are also great). I don't know in which book with seven seals you can read this, but Mavorim have a phenomenal feeling for melodies and for how much space you have to give them. Their harmonies reflect aggression, melancholy, despair and triumph. And it certainly seems unimaginative when I string together one praise after another, but the coherence of the individual pieces also makes me dream of the black metal paradise. So we get three fantastically designed songs, competently produced (without dirt, but always with an uncomfortable undertone) and masterly executed. From my point of view, 'Ein Fluch Ward Uns Geschenkt' marks the best part of this triumvirate, but 'Tod Und Teufel' and 'All Meine Seelen' also hit the bull’s eye. So it’s 90% for Mavorim who show some lazy guys in the global scene that it is possible to release high quality music every year. (Lord Ahriman, Demonaz, do you sleep well?)

Ad Mortem? Oh, that's right, they're still around. And how! They are closer to the typical style of the subgenre. As soon as the intro ends, their guitars embody brutality, the machine-like drums praise Lucifer and the performance of the lead vocalist indicates that his circle of friends is rather small. The vile melodies are not completely on the Mavorim level, but still (very) good. The same applies for the mix. It is less differentiated, the single instruments are not quite cleanly defined, but I write about black metal and not about the lullaby at the annual overnight party in the kindergarten. Nose closed when picking up your child the next morning!

Ad Mortem love to take a bath in extremely murderous sections. For example, 'Schwarzes Blut (Excitium I)' has some mega-intensive parts. No doubt, if you play this song in Eastern Europe in front of one of these numerous, larger-than-life monuments to communist “martyrs”, they crumble to dust in minutes. But I guess this action would bring you directly to the next dungeon – and this leads me directly to the short yet homicidal “Kerker” (= dungeon), another brutal, straight and prisoners-hating eruption. Forgive me, but once again, I do not identify any filler here. Entirely the opposite. While I take the precaution of writing Ad Mortem's first long-playing record, not yet published, on my shopping list, the horde from Saxony skilfully rushes through the back areas of their self-created hell. A little Grabak, a little Vargsang, why not? The calm outro provides enough room to rest. 80% for Ad Mortem, who turn out to be a worthy partner of Mavorim – and this says a lot.

To sum up, this split shows two different styles of black metal and this is a good thing. Mavorim and Ad Mortem are crossing the blades and the listener is the winner. Two very similar bands do not need to join forces in order to release a split that leaves a more homogeneous overall impression than a typical Graveland or Bolt Thrower album. Given this double strike, German black metal patriots can be proud of the Teutonic scene and now I leave. I have to listen to Iudicium Ultimum again, naturally in total darkness to avoid any form of distraction.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Tobias on March 29, 2002.

Even after the dust settled from Deathrace King, I never realized how apropos the name The Crown really is. Now the kings of all that is intense are back with raging depth and voracious sound in their latest release.

This album is loud as hell. Lots of albums are as well, but unlike the masses, Crowned In Terror has a sense of depth and three-pronged whipping precision that will strike you in many places at once.

The rhythm section alone could bore a hole through the earth. Faster than a jackrabbit on crack and heavier than a pile-driver, the only drawback here is that this rage machine can occasionally drown out the ripping six-stringers.

Marko and Marcus burn well patterned welts on you before you can blink with dynamic and refreshingly varied styles resulting in uniquely identifiable tracks. This ability to make each song a separate entity is often a skill that is grossly under-dispersed in most extreme metal bands. Although there are times when the guitars can sound on the verge of being out of control, those times seem to fit the music very well as demonstrated in some of my favorite tracks Speed of Darkness and Out for Blood. The creativity and diversity shown by these two really push this album over the top.

Our man Tomas utterly destroys with his delivery on the mic. While many people may concede to the point that death screams like those of The Crown and The Haunted can be and are often easily replicated in many bands, it is that fine point of delivery that makes the difference; the timing and infused intensity make for a blazingly fantastic performance. It’s that delivery which will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up when listening to tracks like the insta-classic Death is the Hunter.

While the music played here doesn’t rock the scales of originality, the deft intensity and propensity with which The Crown assaults the listener cranks turns all the judgment dials up a few notches.

Bottom Line: It makes my nipples hard! When this album is unleashed, come hell or high water, you’d better be on it.

Categorical Rating Breakdown
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 8
Originality: 9
Overall: 10

Rating: 9.2 of 10