PAYMON – REGNO OCCULTO (Schattenkult Produktionen)

I realise it is human nature to take every review with a pinch of salt (brilliant… amazing…  awesome… esoteric… occult… blah blah blah)  but fuck me I have to say ‘Regno Occulto’ truly is a fantastic piece of work. The product of sole creator Lord Skarn, who hails from the historic Piedmont region of Italy, this 48-minute opus is without doubt one of the most impressive tapes to have graced my ears in recent years.

The composer / executor’s understanding of dynamism is all too apparent and his uncanny ability to convey these ideas stands out, with numerous devilish instrumentals providing a perfect supplement to some superb underground Black Metal.

While the BM quotient on its own might have come across as being fairly run-of-the-mill(-ish) had Lord Skarm not gone the extra mile along the left hand path, it is Paymon’s knack for ushering an otherworldly ambience and an almost cosmic atmosphere to the altar that stands out first and foremost.

Generally, I always expect a certain level of consistency and quality from Schattenkult anyway – but nothing could have prepared me for how good this cassette is. I almost feel ashamed of myself for just paying €3. The magnificent eleven-minute closer ‘Woe To You’ is worth double that on its own!

Evilometer: 666/666