Inquisition - Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult (1998/2010)

Inquisition is a bit of a quagmire within the black metal genre, largely because of their vocal stylings, but also because on a personal level I'd never even heard the bands name until early 2011 when their fifth album 'Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm' was released. I'll bring up that second point first because Inquisition has a history that dates back to 1988 when the band was formed in Cali, Columbia by immigrated Seattle, Washington, USA native Jason "Dagon" Weirbach. When I seriously search through my thoughts, especially my early meanderings with the genre well over a decade ago I have no recollection of ever once hearing the bands name and to be honest, that kind of pisses me off!

During the bands early years they played thrash metal, but after four releases in the first half of the 90's, Dagon made his way back home, found a new drummer with Incubus, together they switched gears to black metal and in '98 they released their debut album, 'Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult' through Sylphorium Records from Columbia. In 2010 the album was re-released and re-mastered and (I'm going to assume) introduced the world to this forgotten gem.

Now, going back to my original point on the bands vocal stylings. When I got done listening to the first song on this album I sat back in this here chair of mine and had a grin on my face. A few more songs in I'd seriously found myself laughing out loud and had already regretted purchasing this album only mid-way through. Musically this twosome brings deathlike mystic black metal through my stereo speakers, but what makes them absolutely unique is through Dagon's vocal delivery, which is performed in some sort of jumbled robotic ceremonial like spoken voice. As I said, initially I didn't get it, I thought it was a joke, I really did... but by the time this long ten track sixty six minute album had expired I had become absolutely possessed by these guys.

It was almost on par with when I first started listening to black metal and had to (at times) look past the vocals and just focus on the music, which in the case of Inquisition were talking about a duo creating mesmerizingly skillful black metal with possible influences from the likes of Bathory, Celtic Frost, Immortal, Mayhem and Emperor.

Dagon's playing is absolutely rifftastic, with an incredible array of memorable and yet simple riffs that slime their way into your very being and sort of possess and just take control. The music is seriously catchy in the absolutely best way while still being utterly kvlt, true, headbangable and I'm sorry to say this but goddamn its even pretty darned toe taping in its delivery. Incubus' drum work is also of the absolute finest caliber, diverse and always interesting to hear, perhaps even as well performed as Proscriptor McGovern from Absu, though not nearly as fast. When paired with Dagon's riffs, which are exactly as I said above, but also occasionally hypnotic and grim in style you can bet you're in for a treat, but if you don't believe me just preview the title track. The band also mingles in a number of movie samples and while I don't know of their origin they surely do work well amongst Dagon's relentless Satanic and occult poetry. The bits of thrash and death metal tossed into the equation makes their craft all the more infinitely awesome too!

I can admit that I'd previewed Inquisition a number of times via youtube, but none of it managed to stick with me until this impressive debut. Clearly I'll be adding more albums from them to my CD shelf soon enough.

You've truly got to give 'em credit too, these guys were doing something different both vocally and musically back when others were still directly ripping off all the Norwegians and probably making a bigger name for themselves while doing it. I can only assume Dagon and Incubus have stuck to their original formula over the years and whether or not its all solid is yet to be heard by me. Meanwhile, if you've never heard 'Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult' I absolutely give it one of my biggest thumbs up and two handed metal horns ever!