Review by Michael on April 12, 2022.

I was much excited when I read the news that Swedish black metal legends Lord Belial are going to release a new album called Rapture in May via Hammerheart Records (by the way a great year for the Dutch label with their new releases!). I was pretty sure that this would never happen again and I was even happier I was when I got the album in my mailbox.

Having a glimpse at the gloomy demonical artwork done by Mike Hrubovcak the listener cannot expect too friendly and positive music on the 9th album by Lord Belial. It was produced by Andy LaRoque and I would say he did a very good job with this. On Rapture you can find a cold but not too sterile production which creates a very nice black metal atmosphere on it. Musically it is as if the Swedish trio hasn't been away for 14 years. They haven't changed anything in their style and perform these harsh yet melodic sounds they did on their previous albums still. Some acoustic parts (like in 'Rapture Of Belial') enlighten the dark tracks a little bit and create this very certain atmosphere the guys have always were able to create.

'Destruction' starts with a thunderstorm intro followed by a demonic shriek. It is a pretty fast track with some hateful vocals and typical Swedish black metal riffing from the 90s. 'Lux Luciferi' is another fast track with powerful drumming, massive fast riffs and a very interesting and melodic break. 'Evil Incarnate' is a nice mid-paced black metal stomper which is one of the catchiest tracks on this album. 'Belie All Gods' has a very cool Gregorian choir in the background and some clean guitar parts that gives this track a certain epic and majestic atmosphere. All in all the album is very much varied which doesn't mean that it is somewhat random.

All the tracks fit perfectly into this frame Lord Belial created with Rapture. I belive that they did a fantastic job with this album and I can say that they fortunately for us did not change the slightest thing in their compositions. All tracks are full of energy and hatred and want to be explored. Although the songs appear to be quite easy to listen to, I still find new aspects in them that I wasn't aware of before. Even Thomas´ voice sounds as fresh and sinister as it did in the past. Maybe they could reveal their trick to me on how to stay that young all the time.

Lyrically there is much to tell about the tracks and if you want to know what they're all about, check the upcoming interview I did with Pepa. He gave me very detailed answers about all of them!

If you liked Lord Belial in the past, be assured that you won't be disappointed by Rapture. Here you can find all the trademarks they used in the past and you won't be surprised in any negative way. What did Euronymous and Deathlike Silence Productions postulated in the past? No fun, no core, no mosh, no trends!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 funless points

Review by Alex on November 27, 2021.

Prowling black/death/doom metal from Orthodoxy comes in the form Novus Lux Dominus. Hailing from Spain, the quartet craft their first full length album after a mere demo offering that takes a giant leap into the occult DM realm. One could say this album is precisely that, but there are more than the traditional howls, grunts, hammering and riffs active on Novus Lux Dominus. More noticeable are the doom and black metal interventions, a play-foulness between technicality and chaos whilst the atmosphere changes ever so subtle and sporadically. An album that is structured with familiarity but also possesses moments of swift transitions into melodious and trance inducing death doom territory.

They twist, turn and shake the 'Key To Victory' and the door opens, revealing all instrumental transgressions, the blasting noise takes a nosedive into screeching guitar solos and the company of death doom, with crawling mobility it reshapes the aura of the album before reverting to its former self. And there is no lack of soloing input to direct the entry and support the overall album. You'll find this jump-about occurring on most songs which is a strength that Orthodoxy seamlessly put to work and exploit for the better, thus giving the record an early identity. 'Flame Of Primordial Essence' and title track 'Novus Lux Dominus' reinforce the strategy, catching the listener off guard many times during the first or even a following session with this calculated effect. The way the material goes from pounding aggression in blast beat bliss to carving out a cavity of slow, slithering advances, appears so seamless that you forget the primary genre of the material Orthodoxy create.

'Eerie Presence' binds the material excellently adding an obscure ambient overcast to the soundscape of Novus Lux Dominus that introduces 'Voluptuous Death' and 'Abyss Of Aberration'. And it must be noted that the interludes here are applied to considerable effect as they don't just aid the atmosphere of the record, they also act as excellent segues into any particular track and they offer a neat organization of the music and overall presentation of Novus Lux Dominus. Everything sounds completely fleshed-out and precisely pieced together hence you get the feeling you are listening to a renditioned concept rather than random noises.

There is enough quality material on Novus Lux Dominus to go for at least another 3 years, so there should be no rush to put out more music under the Orthodoxy banner. This album is a good beginning that greases the gears for progression where the music is concerned hence it will be interesting as to how a second entry is handled.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10