SACRILEGIOUS IMPALEMENT – II – EXALTED SPECTRES LP (Hammer Of Hate)

I’ve postponed writing this review on a number of occasions due to a mixture of uncertainty, laziness and downright indecision. It’s a bitch when you’re not sure what you think of an album! Is ‘II – Exalted Spectres’ just another run-of-the-mill Black Metal LP or is it a solid example of how Black Metal can – and should – be performed? Not sure – it seems to be falling between two stools.

On one hand, I’m thinking there’s nothing special going on here. Then again, I wonder what the fuck was I expecting? At the end of the day, I love Black Metal and Sacrilegious Impalement perform it with gusto. And the reason why this site exists is to promote the style of music I enjoy. So I’m giving SI the benefit of the doubt. There is a lot of shit masquerading as Black Metal and these Finns do not deserve to be placed anywhere near that category.

This is by no means a great release bit it is nonetheless a very good one and the long-awaited vinyl version is definitely worth having (nice record; lovely cover; full 12″ x 12″ lyric sheet included). If you enjoy aggressive yet polished Black Metal, then you can’t go wrong here. ‘II – Exalted Spectres’ is a fine full-length but don’t be expecting an exceptional one.

Evilometer: 444/666