### Draconis Infernum: Rites of desecration & demise

#### 26/01/12 || gk

Singapore’s Draconis Infernum are on to their second album in 2011 and there’s a slight change in the bands take on black metal. This is a slightly more considered and dare i say it, mature work. While the debut was a straight out blast from start to finish, “Rites of Desecration & Demise” has melody, changes in tempo and better musicianship.

The album opens with “Regime of the Underworld” and the shift in the bands sound is noticeable. I’d say the change is welcome and the melodies are good while never being in your face. The Dark Funeral influence is very apparent but it’s decently done and mixed in with some classic Dissection worship. It’s with the second song “Rites of Desecration & Demise” that things really start to pick up. A memorable guitar riff holds the song together and while the band seem happy to be worshiping at the altar of Swedish black metal, it’s a pretty good song. “Armoured Legion” harks back to the debut in terms of relentless blasting and aggression and sounds like an unholy mash up of Dark Funeral and Marduk. “Vengeance Unto Thee” is a great mid album song with a kickass melodic riff, harsh raspy vocals and excellent interplay between the main melodic riff and a blast beat section that adds to the heaviness of the song. “…of Darkness and Solitude” is a sombre piano instrumental that provides some breathing room between the blasting and “Chaos Infinity” is some more Marduk worship and a great song except that Marduk has not sounded this wild and energetic in some time. The album closes with a cover of Bathory’s “Satan My Master” with Kult ov Azazel’s Xaphan guesting on lead guitar and vocals.

While the band owes Dark Funeral a debt in terms of their sound, they also incorporate the melodic black death of bands like Sacramentum and the all out aggression of older Marduk. In comparison to most black metal bands from South East Asia, Draconis Infernum sound polished and in Xepher and Niloc have two accomplished guitarists. The departure of original vocalist Kount Cider means that drummer Hammerfrost now handles vocal duties as well and he does a pretty good job. The only real complaint I have is that the drums sound triggered to hell and beyond.

“Rites of Desecration & Demise” is fairly derivative of Swedish black metal but it’s also pretty good and there are some killer songs here. With Impiety, Zygoatsis, Hellstorm, Rudra and Wormrot all releasing albums ranging from good to fucking fantastic, 2011 feels like a quality year for Asian extreme metal and now we can safely add Draconis Infernum to that list.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Hass Weg Productions
- Website: Draconis Infernum MySpace
- Band
- Serberuz Hammerfrost: vocals, bass, drums
- Xepher: guitars
- Niloc: guitars

- Tracklist
- 01. Regime of The Underworld
- 02. Rites of Desecration & Demise
- 03. Armoured Legion
- 04. Proclamation of Encroachment
- 05. Vengeance Unto Thee
- 06. …Of Solitude & Darkness
- 07. Chaos Infinity
- 08. The Grand Conjuration
- 09. Satan My Master (Bathory Cover)