Worshipers of the Apocryphal Ages

Hell Poemer is a Greek band which exists since 2005 and plays Black Metal influenced by the Greek scene and especially by Rotting Christ.

Here we have their latest release which is a re – release of their first two demos. The guitars are mainly rhythmic with some fast breaks. The drums and bass fill the sound very well but without being something different. The keyboards are melodic, in a few parts they are more loud than the rest of the instruments. The vocals are the same as those of Rotting Christ, passed by filters and studio editing, thing that I don’t like at all, but they also have some problems in performance: They aren’t expressive at all and they are characterized by a monotony. The first track of the album is an intro small in duration and without any purpose. The second track is fast with mid – tempo passages which remind very much of the second period of Rotting Christ. That is more commercial melodies, happy keyboards and solos. The third track is mid – slow tempo, it has a very interesting melancholic riff but this too is moving in more commercial Rotting Christ forms. The fourth track is the best track of the album. It begins too with the usual Rotting Christ style but somewhere in the middle has one of the best turnaround which I have listened to the last few years: Epic, frozen, powerful. The next two tracks are from the band’s first demo and there are some great changes in the sound. The tracks are mostly mid – tempo while the band shows that has been influenced more by Varathron. Here the vocals are much better. Both tracks are very good and I think I prefer them in this style.

The production in the first tracks is clean, all instruments can be heard but the only thing that annoyed me is that in some parts the keyboards are much louder than the rest. In the next tracks the production is darker and more blurred but it fits the atmosphere of the tracks absolutely. Generally the album has some interest especially the last three tracks. I wouldn’t say that you have to get this album but it is a good effort and I believe that many people would like it.