TEITANBLOOD – FROM THE VISCERAL ABYSS (Norma Evangelium Diaboli)

The inimitable (many have tried, all have failed…) maniacal magnificence of Teitanblood teems with tremendous vigour and savagery through every decrepit second of eagerly-anticipated fourth full-length ‘From the Visceral Abyss’, From the off, it is clear that the glory days of those masterful subgenre-defining productions ‘Seven Chalices’ and ‘Death’ have been successfully recaptured, rechanneled and replicated as Teitanblood indignantly rips through seven deathly new curses of trademark abominable, putrid, hellish blackened-as-all-fuck Death Metal barbarism

While the law of diminishing returns does present itself quite often when it comes to the unholy hybrid of chaotic, unforgiving Death / Black Metal of which Teitanblood are seasoned pioneers and standard bearers, it must be acknowledged that the Spaniards alone defy this phenomenon: they have perfected the craft and every release in their discography is mandatory, meriting endless repeat listens.  It’s truly affirming and enriching in 2025 – a time predominantly of tedium and mediocrity otherwise – to encounter a release as energetic, electrifying, pulverising and fucking ugly as ‘From the Visceral Abyss’.

Six years on from third sacrificial strike ‘The Baneful Choir’, the gates to perpetual infernal suffering reopen maliciously and the 52-minute duration of this freshly interred monster (re)presents Teitanblood at their cruel, punishing best, with ferocious, demonic devastation emitted like an unearthly exorcism through rabid riffing hoarse and dry, an unrestrained orchestra of inhuman(e) utterings, macabre solos veering out of control, relentless punishing percussion, nasty nefarious noise, devious curveballed melodies and an immersive analogue-sounding production from the bowels of hell itself, granting full access to the frenzied whirlwind of spiteful vengeance and death worship.

Nobody has ever incorporated noise / ambient elements into a Black / Death attack as seamlessly and effectively as Teitanblood. They get it just right every time and touches such as the horrendous hellscape of intermissionary ‘Sevenhundreddogsfromhell’ invariably elevate proceedings to heights, nay depths that others can only dream of reaching. While the debut is perhaps the most inherently-evil-sounding album ever conjured, here the evil comes from elsewhere: pure possessed indignant intensity.

The intent, authenticity and absolute integrity of Teitanblood remains to the forefront as they contemptuously smash, slash and thrash their way through ‘Strangling Visions’, the pace and aforementioned unbearable intensity never relenting from start to finish on the record, outrageous opener ‘Enter the Hypogeum’ and punishing parting shot ‘Tomb Corpse Haruspex’ – a maddening onslaught which soars initially and seduces the listener briefly into a strangely comforting place before gouging the jugular then looping tantalisingly back to the very beginning (‘Whore Mass’ – closing the circle?) – merged morosely together sickeningly by the merciless maelstrom of peak, prime Teitanblood malevolence vomited, bled and sprayed forth in a torrent of disdainful disgust in between.

It gets no better than this.

Evilometer: 666/666