BELPHEGOR have established themselves as prolific songwriters, as they keep pumping out albums year after year, and 2011 is no exception. Unfortunately, this can be a pitfall for some bands, as churning out albums every year can take a toll on songwriting and incorporating fresh ideas.

The band is flawless in their execution, as Blood Magick Necromance has a clean and polished production, but the album leaves a lot to be desired. Nothing stands out that the band hasn’t done before, and sadly, the songs on the first half of the album can be interchangeable with any of the songs found on their last few releases. Sure, the music sounds good with blasts, double bass, and DEICIDE-like dual vocals, but it sounds all too similar. “Rise to Fall and Fall to Rise” sounds like an IMMORTAL B-side, with the album remaining uninspired until the last few tracks. “Impaled Upon the Tongue of Satan” finally delivers some catchy riffs with memorable song structures, while “Possessed Burning Eyes” captures headbang inducing guitar work. The final track, “Sado Messiah,” is an all out assault, with blistering blast beats and aggression that provides fodder to garner interest to the blackened death metal audience.

Blood Magick Necromance fails to deliver anything new or exciting to the table, and while BELPHEGOR consistently write good albums, they have never achieved writing a great album from start to finish. What you see is what you get with the band, and BELPHEGOR would have been better suited taking the best songs from this album and releasing an EP instead. (Nuclear Blast Records)

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