Review by Jeger on August 3, 2026.

Some of you have never really understood Black Metal, and I've often wondered what I could do - being the nice fellow that I am - to help you understand what Black Metal is actually all about… Well, I don't have to because I've discovered just the thing for you. Strip away every element of allure, romance, majesty and adventure. BM is also great for those things, but it had to evolve from something. In the States, the art of Black Metal is one with a brutal History consisting of bands like Black Witchery, Grand Belial's Key and Profanatica who have collectively released some of the most gloriously toxic BM the World has ever heard. In 2002, a band that would eventually be known as Hessian was formed in Atlanta, Georgia by the prolific Laremy Wade, and ever since, under Madame Durant, Utuk Xul Commands Worship and finally the Hessian banner, their modus operandi has been to reflect the savage nature of the USBM Scene once you skim past the Nachtmystiums and the Judas Icariots into the nethermost regions of the Underground.

YHWH - a scarcely-known, burgeoning Belgian/Thai Occult Black Metal entity formed in 2024 by Brother & Sister, Schem HaMephorash and C. Bones. As with most outfits of this sort, their works are shrouded in mystery. The only pertinent piece of knowledge here is the fact that YHWH is the product of viable Occult workings: Esotericism, ritual and magick. On July 24, Hessian and YHWH joined forces for the creation of a Split, "Rapture & Perversion", 16 minutes worth of Underground Black Metal carnage unleashed via Underground Rexes, Wormholedeath.

Filth, grime and raw violence is what can be expected for Hessian's opening portion of the recording. Hessian are known for their raw touch when it comes to recording BM and I will say that they do it better than most. "Archon In The Circle Of Iron", all the way through to "Black Leather Nun" - sheer violence manifested under the wrath Panzer-dozing riffs and eviscerating, jackhammer blast-beats/double-bass currents. Funny, it's almost like our boy here actually knows a thing or two about true Black Metal recording. A little Impaled Nazarene worship never hurt anyone either. "Demon Night" to remind us of Impaled classics like "Humble Fuck of Death" or "The Noncomformists" from their "Eight Headed Serpent" LP. Everything from the maniacal vocals to the frenetic nature of the drumming, all the way down to the aforementioned raw product, a real specimen of genuine American Black Metal.

With YHWH, expect a cleaner product but also similar levels of aggression. The band does a fine job of matching levels of intensity with Hessian but they do it with a level of mystification that's usually only found within the composition of Occult records. "Gravebound" alternates between grimy Black & Roll parts and ethereal tremolo riffs driven by the momentum of relentless percussive movement. The album's title-track belongs to YHWH. Fancy listening to what sounds like a Nun getting plowed up the ass? Sure you do… And what follows is just more violence, more depravity and more repulsion. This is a celebration of true fucking Black Metal. Wormholedeath's stock rising in my books now because of this little gem. Get a taste of what true BM is supposed to sound and feel like right here with "Rapture & Perversion".

When it comes to USBM, you get UADA or this and there isn't much in between. It's a movement that has always felt off-balance, but so long as outfits like Hessian continue to scorch the Underground, there will always be something for the Enthusiast who likes it brutal to grab onto. And YHWH? I expect this band to be as important to Occult BM as the most predominant acts: Αχέροντας, Serpent Noir or Mephorash. You just don't get this shit very often these days unless you scour those aforementioned nethermost regions of the Underground and even then, it's still a challenge to find something this appropriate. "Rapture & Perversion" has found you, True Believer… Be rough with the bitch…

Rating: 8.5 out of 10