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The only other Enthroned album I possess, "The Apocalypse Manifesto", didn't grab my attention when I got it, but it's a whole other story with "Carnage in Worlds Beyond". The album sports a crystal-clear sound and Enthroned here can be characterized here as a well-oiled extreme metal machine. Playing a brand of Black Metal not without reminding one of early Immortal and Marduk, Enthroned present here a meticulously refined plate of sonic carnage played so tight that it doesn't leave much place for criticism. The hateful vocal work is very effective, and despite being of the BM screeches variety, the lyrics are usually decipherable if you pay close attention. There are a few whispered spoken passages here and there where the music slows down to a standstill that result in a very well-done gloomy feeling. The part where the singer whispers "Anno Sathanas Six-hundred and Sixty-six" gives one an urge to go make a grilled cheese, however. :)

The music is overall very fast-paced (not surprising, considering the Immortal and Marduk references made earlier), but played with such precision and with such a good production that one can easily pick out just about every sound on the album... And inside that sonic assault, you'll find some almost hidden guitar solos, not necessarily commonplace in this style of music. Often categorized by BM elitists as "Norsecore", some will argue as to whether this is Black Metal or not. One thing's for sure, however, the lyrics scream of anti-Christianity. Now 10 years of age, the band shows no sign of mellowing out their sound, unlike many of their contemporaries. I can only highly recommend this title. As for myself, maybe it's time to give "The Apocalypse Manifesto" another listen and see if I missed something the first time around... :)

Additional Information

A limited edition with 3 bonus tracks is also available. Total 13 tracks, duration: 51:08.

Bonus tracks:

• The Septentrionnal Shrine
• The Horny and The Horned (Impaled Nazarene cover)
• Genocide 2002