Metal Injection

Look at that album cover.  Just look at it.  Unless you're at work, in which case close this browser tab immediately.

I'm assuming the "dragon lineage" of the album's title refers to the serpentine heritage of Satan, but regardless of contextual intent it's clear Pennsylvania's Pact are on some take-no-prisoners shit.  This is old school black metal, to be sure, but any atmospheric impressions will have to be derived from the distant, chilly production, because there is scant by way of keyboard intros or droning filler here.  The closest we get is a brief Satanic hymnal ostensibly recorded around a sacrificial pyre – you can hear the logs crackling in the fire – which closes "Into Heaven's Night". Otherwise The Dragon Lineage of Satan represents a relentless panoply of hate-fueled vocals, frenzied triplets and ADD blast beats.

Now, this may very well be a deliberate attempt to create mystery around the band, but there is very little information floating around online about this band… even Moribund's own site redirects the band page to a "coming soon" link. If so they're being fairly low key about it, no reports of live performances dressed in heavily veiled priest cloaks, no controversial manifestos issued discreetly through the firewall of an email interview. At this stage, at least, Pact seem determined that you take their work at face value, and in that regard no qualifiers about "potential" or "development" are necessary… this is simply a killer fucking black metal band.

8.5 out of 10

The Dragon Lineage of Satan is out now on Moribund.