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INQUISITION
Veneration Of Medieval Mysticism And Cosmological Violence

Agonia (2024)
Rating: 8/10

Here is the ninth full-length studio album from this peculiar Seattle, Washington-based band that started out in 1988. Responsible for some genuinely creepy releases, Inquisition is better known for the weird vocalisations emitted from lead man Dagon. His throaty burps are certainly an acquired taste but they are what make the band so unique within the annals of black metal lore.

Through the decades Inquisition has remained consistent with its mystical approach and so there are no surprises here as the band continues to dabble with esoteric values amidst flurries of icy guitars and mid-tempo darkness. Every song title is long with some of the finest examples being ‘Secrets From The Wizard Forest Of Forbidden Knowledge’, ‘Sorcery Through Crystal Eyes In Search Of The Devil’ and the title track, but the most important thing here is the quality of the music and the darkness that is generated from it.

‘Crown Of Light And Constellations’ is grimly led by those throaty gurgles, while musically it’s classic, permafrost hammering which drags us into the eerie depths of ‘A Hidden Ceremony Of Blood And Flesh’ with its piercing axe work. You get blasted by 13 tracks, all of which gleam through the snow-laced dim twilight. The likes of ‘Infinity Is The Aeon Of Satan’ and ‘Memories Within An Empty Castle In Ruins’ follow themes of freezing pace, but the menace and weirdness remains, particularly with ‘Primordial Philosophy And Pure Spirit’ and closer ‘Lord Of Absolute Darkness And Infinite Light’, both mere atmospheric soundscapes to draw the evil to your front door.

Everything about Inquisition exudes a celestial foreboding that by the time this album has finished I’m already reaching for the light switch.

Neil Arnold

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