My only previous experience with Norwegian Limbonic Art was their 1997 In Abhorrence Dementia. While undeniably black metal, it was quite symphonic in nature, so I was looking for more of the same with The Ultimate Death Worship. Even though die-hard Limbonic Art fans might disagree (and I again will be crucified on the Forum board) The Ultimate Death Worship is an entirely different affair than In Abhorrence Dementia. It is gazillion times angrier and more aggressive!

I read somewhere that Limbonic Art is a combination of old-school black metal and Dimmu Borgir. This statement could not be further from the truth. As far as I am concerned, Limbonic Art is anti-Dimmu Borgir. At least on The Ultimate Death Worship they are. None of their songs are catchy, the riffs are not structured, and, even though the keyboards are present, symphonic effects are blended into the background. One thing for sure – Limbonic Art are not after the multimillion dollar sales. They are after expressing themselves.

Ok, so far I have been saying things that Limbonic Art are not. Time to describe the things they are. Black metal by Limbonic Art is an infernal pandemonium of both very personal and cosmic proportions. Layered, reverberating and chaotic guitars are Limbonic Art’s wall of sound. Sometimes the pace of the riffs is deliberate (title track), but it can be blisteringly fast as well (Suicide Commando). Electronic sounds and effects are splashed around the fringes to add harmony and atmosphere to this texture. Very rarely keyboards take the lead (Funeral of Death), yet freezing cold feeling is omnipresent. The vocals are tormented demonic screams scanning the whole spectrum of possible human delivery, including its highest end. Purgatorial Agony is a chant that invokes the images of evil necromancer concocting a deadly poison. While melodies don’t jump out at you upon the first listen, multiple spins reveal them in spots (funeral melody of Towards the Oblivion of Dreams is substituted with the triumph of mayhemic forces in the end of the song). The whole atmosphere of the album is of horror, torment and creepiness.

The elements I didn’t like were the complete absence of bass lines and deeply buried in the mix drum machine. Overall, production is clear, and it has to be for this type of music not to become just noise. However, it could be empowered tremendously, if Limbonic Art were to create a real drum stool for somebody like Trym, Hellhammer or Horgh to occupy. (Trym would be my first choice for Limbonic Art).

Having tried to “objectively” describe The Ultimate Death Worship, it is now time to reveal my personal feelings toward this album. I don’t mind to be touched by the genius of Dimmu Borgir, after all it will teach you how to make extreme metal mainstream. I don’t mind to be touched by the genius of Emperor, after all you will create both beautiful and evil things in the process. But I would mind to be touched by the genius of Daemon and Morfeus, the twosome behind Limbonic Art. Yes, I would not want to be an internally tortured man who uses an execution narrative as a part of the song. The Ultimate Death Worship is one good, convincing, true black metal album … but although I liked it in spots I did not become a die-hard fan of it in the end.