Weekly album: Inquisition - Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith

Inquisition - Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith

2016 / Black Metal

1. Intro: The Force Before Darkness

2. From Chaos They Came

3. Wings of Anu

4. Vortex from the Celestial Flying Throne of Storms

5. A Black Aeon Shall Cleanse

6. The Flames of Infinite Blackness Before Creation

7. Mystical Blood

8. Through the Divine Spirit of Satan a Glorious Universe Is Known

9. Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith

10. Power from the Center of the Cosmic Black Spiral 

11.  A Magnificent Crypt of Stars 

12. Outro: The Invocation of the Absolute, the All, the Satan 

13. Coda: Hymn to the Cosmic Zenith

btcarey: This week’s album may come as no surprise to the readers of Utterance of Evil. Inquisition’s hot-off-the-press release “Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith” was an obvious choice as well as an album I’ve been looking forward to for some time. “hot” is probably the last word I should use to describe “Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar…” (or any of Inquisition’s releases), after all, the band’s primary purpose is to explore the desolate corners of the icy cosmos and achieve a higher level of individualistic enlightenment.

Inquisition isn’t necessarily my favorite band but I have the utmost respect for its themes and members. Everything is done to the highest level of detail, from the brilliant lyrics to the stunning album art. It’s obvious that Inquisition’s members pour every ounce of themselves into their music, and it sounds simply incredible.
It’s bands like Inquisition, who after a 20 year career don’t have one bad album, give me hope for modern metal. “Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar…” is a perfect fit into their discography and may even top their previous release “Obscure Verses for the Multiverse” (which was a great album).

This album is a must for Inquisition fans and metal fans in general. I would also specifically recommend Cult of Fire fans to this album and vice versa.

Favorite Songs: “Vortex From the Celestial Flying Throne of Storms”,  “Wings of Anu”

tp5170: I don’t really know how to best describe the style of the Inquisition, but let’s just say that if you happen to have any room in your heart for straightforward black metal with high quality composition and interesting riffs, it’s a band you should definitely check and as it happens, “Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith” might be an excellent album to get started with that.

My expectations for this Inquisition’s new album were high, but I think that the band managed to deliver a spectacular album once again. Inquisition’s albums have always had a unique touch to them and this one is no exception, it’s really engaging stuff right from the start and it definitely keeps you charged for the whole duration. This is one of those albums that in my opinion don’t even need to be innovative to excel because the formulae the band has come up with just works so well.

Orostider: Inquisition was one of those bands you were aware of for so many years but for unknown reasons you never checked them out. A friend of mine reminded me to spin 'Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm' around in early 2013 and I was instantly sold. Dagon's gnarly vocals are a huge turn off for some, but for me, they are exactly the right sort for Inquistion's cosmically twisted black metal.

'Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith' doesn't really surprise you if you're familiar with Inquisition already, but even though you know exactly what's to be expected, you really don't know what's ahead. That's one of the reasons why Inquisition impressed me instantly. Their riffs, or actually their songs overall, seem to follow a certain trail but tend to add some unexpected moments. Quite often actually. The scheme results in a constantly high quality album with enough twists to endure several spins but also including the familiar Inquisition elements.

Even though I keep saying that the album is just what is to be expected, it doesn't mean it's overly predictable. Inquisition's riffs and song structures aren't exactly similar to the more traditional black metal's, but the traditions are present just enough. Twisting riffs from unknown realms and the continuing unique sound are the reason 'Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith' and Inquistion overall deserve to be held high.