Review / 200 Words Or Less
Glorior Belli
Manifesting the Raging Beast

Southern Lord (2007) Kevin Fitzpatrick

Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast cover artwork
Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast — Southern Lord, 2007

See: Obscurus Advocam

Just kidding. But let's face it. They are pretty interchangeable, no? Both bands are the vision of French musician Infestuus. Both bands are all just too melodic. Now, call me old-fashioned but melody has no place in black metal. Bleak, sure. Twisted? Frightening? Suffocating? These are all bad adjectives for relationships, yet all good adjectives for heavy music.

All musicians perform admirably there's just an edge that's lacking that castrates any chance the album ever had. Blastbeats abound, to be sure, but there's more needed that can't be found no matter how many repeated listens the buyer can stomach. Okay, okay if you find Naglefar or Striborg too atmospheric, Glorior Belli may be more suited to your needs, but allow me to steer you to the OG's of the genre that have introduced melody to their sound over the years: Darkthrone, Immortal, and Mayhem, to name a few (though not the newest Mayhem disc they're scary again). Look, I'm trying to do you a favor. This isn't what I'd necessarily call a "bad" album, but there's better music out there to be heard. Seek and ye shall find.

Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast cover artwork
Glorior Belli – Manifesting the Raging Beast — Southern Lord, 2007

Related news

Agonia signs Glorior Belli

Posted in Labels on June 1, 2013

Metal Blade adds Glorior Belli

Posted in Bands on May 24, 2011

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025

Recently-posted album reviews

Pinhead Gunpowder

Unt
1-2-3-4 Go! Records (2024)

Pinhead Gunpowder began in 1990, recording a 7” in 1991. The band last released a 7” in 2008… Until late 2024 when the band returned with the 14-song full-length Unt. So congratulations if you had “we get a new Pinhead Gunpowder record before a new D4 record on your bingo card. (These two bands released a split 7” in 2000 … Read more

The Cure

Songs of a Lost World
Capitol, Fiction, Lost Music, Polydor/Universal (2024)

It's been sixteen years since The Cure released their last album. I don't know if anyone really knew what to expect, but it's one of the most influential bands in history so expectations were high. The Verdict? Those expectations were met. It'd be silly to say Songs of a Lost World is a "return to form" as the band and … Read more

City Mouse

So Far Out
Brassneck Records, It's Alive (2024)

There are few bands that hit with the mix of raw emotion and musical talent as a live City Mouse show. There are even fewer bands that can capture that live feeling on a record. It’s been a long 7 years since Get Right, but So Far Out keeps it moving as if no time has passed. Of course, the … Read more