BLISS OF FLESH – Beati Pauperes Spiritu

The French black/death metal squadron named Bliss of Flesh will soon unleash their 2^nd full-length album via Non Serviam Records, and that`s something to be excited about as we`re dealing with a good and well-crafted album here.

"Beati Pauperes Spiritu" consists of 9 songs that alternate between moody and atmospheric black/death metal on the one hand and aggressive and in-your-face hard-hitters on the other. The guys strike a good balance here in the sense that they know how to vary their songs and keep the listener engaged in them. I must say that I prefer the slightly more atmospheric and epic ones to the more aggressive and direct songs in that the former are more challenging and unpredictable to listen to. The atmospheric ones also seem to lean more on black metal compared to the others, but don`t get me wrong here;  all the songs contain a certain amount of brutality, evil, and aggression.

If I had to pick out a few favorites I would probably go with the memorable "Black Procession", the dark and twisted "On the Paths to Expiation", and the epic and melancholic "Forgotten Epitaphs". I like that slow, doomy and brooding opening in "On the Paths to Expiation" a lot, and the rest of the track is damn well executed as well. It even contains a few thrashy elements. The crown jewel on the disc, however, is without a shadow of doubt "Forgotten Epitaphs". That song simply has it all in my opinion.

In the overall perspective I would say that there are quite a lot of catchy riffs present on this disc that evoke a really dark aura, and those riffs and melodies are clearly one of the main assets of the band. There are times when Bliss of Flesh remind me a little of Behemoth, Vorkreist, and Arkhon Infaustus, but that`s not a bad thing as such and Bliss of Flesh can hardly be called rip-offs. However, there may not be a whole lot of originality and innovation present on this disc, but again; what does that matter when the album is good and solid throughout? "Beati Pauperes Spiritu" will probably satisfy most black/death fanatics out there.

http://www.reverbnation.com/blissofflesh