Metal Underground.com

It’s hard to be frightened by black metal, with the goofy posturing and copious amounts of “kvlt” face paint that resembles an evil Krusty the Clown. Everything that is supposed to be heinous and terrifying, from the imagery to the lyrics, comes across as effective as a group of bored teenagers mimicking Mercyful Fate. Cheap tactics like unwarranted low-fi production and an abundance of distortion only reinforce how difficult it is to get under a listener’s skin. However, there are always the exceptions to the rule, and The Beast Of The Apocalypse stands out as one of the most blatant ones with their second album “Henosis.”

“Henosis” continues in the direction of lengthy, noisy black metal that started with “A Voice From The Four Horns Of The Golden Altar.” An impending feeling of dread circles the album like a hungry vulture looking to feast on a fresh corpse. The seven songs generate a sense of discomfort, even in the ambient moments like the synth-driven intro track, “One.” There is no ease-in period; the band drops into the thick of madness right from the onset of “Vision Of The Twelve Priests Before The Altar.”

The Dutch pair have cleaned up their sound enough to make it coherent to process. Earphones are definitely needed to gain a full appreciation of the record. Listening to it through speakers compared to plugging in headphones is a vast difference. The production still has the “recorded in a cave” quality, while the dueling screeches and shouted bellows are incomprehensible without lyrics handy. Judging by the meaning of the album title (philosophy-based, involving unity and connecting with the source of being), it sounds like a thought-provoking subject that will be passed over by 99% of its audience.

Blasting drum beats and static-filled riffs dominate the title track and “The Immortal Realm of Barbelo,” but the real intrigue lies with the use of chilling synth and bone-crushing bass guitar breaks on “I Am Not Worthy To Utter Thy Name.” These transitions are done in a seamless manner, placed to build anticipation towards the next frantic blackened sonic punch. The band recreates this several times to positive results, including the bleak closer “Yaldabaoth.”

A tough record to swallow, “Henosis” is for serious black metal enthusiasts only. Memorable songwriting is nowhere to be found, an unfortunate side-effect of this style of black metal, but there are enough tempo changes to make it bearable to get through. This record is the stuff nightmares are made of, and the type of sick music that fans of the genre gravitate towards with a unnatural level of eagerness.