“Incendiary” is a good word to describe Whore of Bethlehem. I was introduced to the Austin act with sophomore effort Extinguish the Light, which was intense and burning for its time – same with its follow-up. Whether it be the moniker or album title, the cover art, or the fire that the quintet injects into its sound, Ritual of Homicide is incendiary. Fiery blackened death accomplished through the relentless gaze of brutal death, its intensity cannot be understated, never falling into the slog of brutal death’s worst enemies nor succumbing to the slough of influences that saturate blackened death. While it is indeed incendiary, is it easily extinguished like a match or does it rage like a forest fire?
It’s easy to wonder what sort of Goatwhore of Behemoth or Belphegor will grace our puny minds but Whore of Bethlehem walks the straight and narrow. It’s easy for blackened death to borrow from the whole bevy of influences or descend into monotonous war metal blastiness, but this quintet offers a riff-fest. Across ten tracks and thirty-eight minutes of no-bullshit blackened death, Whore of Bethlehem will rip your face off and stomp it into the earth with precision riffs, ominous melodies, rip-roaring solos, knuckle-dragging beatdowns, and vicious vocals. There’s a lot of fun to be had in Ritual of Homicide, and while it may not be the most earthshaking release, it holds enough for repeated spins if you’re a sucker for blackened death punishment.
If it’s riffs you’re after, Whore of Bethlehem will supply. Every track features an expertly crafted blend of punishment, versatility, and rock-solid songwriting to keep its thirty-eight minutes moving smoothly. Tracks like “Enlightenment Through Pain,” “Out of Body,” the title track, and bonus track “Pseudochrist” are relentless blasters, tastefully transitioning between blackened pulses, curb-stomping grooves, and chunky riffs that verge on deathcore or slam, a more brutal incarnation of Behemoth’s Evangelion. Meanwhile, “Vermin,” “Monolith of Creation” channel blackened horror, blastbeats and epic atmospheres conjuring the likes of Hate and Light Dweller. The title track is unique in its vocal effects, James VanDenBerg’s echoing and crescendoing roars serving as an oddly infectious highlight to an already kickass riff-fest of a track, while “Out of Body” is a climax of ruthless blasphemy and thorny brutality in the most incendiary track of Whore of Bethlehem’s career. Furthermore, the mix is cutthroat, ensuring that every element of brutal death and blackened tremble is given its time to shine.
The precision with which Whore of Bethlehem constructs Ritual of Homicide ensures that the organicity that allows more freeform death metal its experimental edge is a far cry. For the riffs and blastbeats that devastate relentlessly, Ritual of Homicide feels ceaselessly neat. There’s little groundbreaking about its lethal concoction, so if you’re searching for the next death metal album to challenge the greats or satisfy the gnashing yearn in your head, look elsewhere. Otherwise, there are just a couple songwriting hiccups here and there, most painfully obvious in “Disembodied.” It takes on a jarring punk feel in its suddenly major chord progressions, feeling far too optimistic compared to the riffy darkness that surrounds it. Otherwise, there are some tracks that fall into unmemorable territory, such as “Nails in Your Coffin,” “Vermin,” and “Sermon of the Malignant Spirit.” These aren’t bad tracks per se, but they simply don’t hold up to the more obvious highlights.
If Devangelic and Belphegor had a baby, it might look a little like Whore of Bethlehem. Blackened blasphemy meets ruthless brutality in a well-written album that concusses tastefully. Ridiculous precision ensures it remains firmly in its lane and the shadow of its many titans that preceded it, but when the riffs start coming and they don’t stop coming, you won’t care about much aside from the relentless groove – an incendiary groove – that grabs hold and won’t let go.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Comatose Music
Websites: whoreofbethlehem.bandcamp.com | whoreofbethlehem.com | facebook.com/wobethlehem
Releases Worldwide: March 24th, 2023
