Release date: 20 June, 2025

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present ANGEL OF DAMNATION’s highly anticipated third album, Ethereal Blasphemy, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

ANGEL OF DAMNATION was formed in 2003 with the intention to create epic traditional doom metal influenced by the likes of Candlemass, Witchfinder General, and Saint Vitus on one side and the more ‘70s vibe of Pentagram and Black Sabbath on the other. The metal part of doom always was a major focus – in other words, putting guitar riffs over soundscapes. Lyrically, the band could maybe be mistaken for a black metal band but dealing less with Satanism and, instead in general, darker topics throughout the history of mankind. The band has a soft spot for blasphemy and simply mocking everything holy and religion in general.

Naturally, all this comes from a host of longtime scene veterans: NOCTURNAL / Front Beast mainman Avenger on guitar, the rhythm section of Cross Vault, and prolific vocalist Gerrit Mutz (Sacred Steel, Battleroar, Dawn of Winter) under the ever-apt handle Doomcult Messiah. Erstwhile NOCTURNAL / BLACKEVIL drummer Hellbastard and his replacement, Cross Vault / Halphas drummer Tempestas, have since departed, and now replaced by Neudi of Sentry, Trance, and ex-Manilla Road. ANGEL OF DAMNATION are nothing if not diehards!

And, seven years since their last full-length, they’re here to prove it again with Ethereal Blasphemy. Thankfully, little has changed in the sonic world of ANGEL OF DAMNATION, and their third album is thus a reassertion of ancient powers. Like some lost relic of the NWOBHM, on Ethereal Blasphemy do the quartet purge the witchfinder generals and celebrate the old-world splendor of medieval witchery. From opener “Eternal Life in Hell” to closer “Anal Worship of the Goatlord,” ANGEL OF DAMNATION lumber forward with the proud poise of titans, exuding heaviness even when the riffs aren’t strictly crushing; there’s an almost relaxed gait to the album that’s relatively unique for doom metal, maximizing the balance between hook and atmosphere. Credit is due to Neudi, for his looser and more-open style seems like a natural fit for the band, imparting a new dynamic to ANGEL OF DAMNATION whilst keeping their signature sound. The whole album was recorded in Avenger’s own cellar, known as the “Somewhere in Nowhere” Studio, fully produced by himself; only the mix & mastering was given to the Journey Into Eternity Studios, and it all results in Ethereal Blasphemy having a vibrant-yet-eldritch feel.

In the past 20-plus years, ANGEL OF DAMNATION have played live only a handful of times, but to celebrate the arrival of this third album, the band will play a few select shows following its release. Graced with an uncharacteristic artwork courtesy of the legendary Chris Moyen, Ethereal Blasphemy will make you kneel before the goat!

Line-up:
Avenger – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Doomcult Messiah – Vocals
Forcas – Bass
Neudi – Drums

From Germany

Artwork:
Chris Moyen

Review

“Eternal Life in Hell” had much of what you’d expect from epic doom, with the Candlemass styled vocals, but the guitar work reminded more of traditional doom like Sabbath or Trouble. The overall feel of the track led me to Manilla Road and early Blind Guardian. While it was a fairly by-the-numbers affair for much the track, a drum solo beckoned a tempo shift where the song ascended to a higher plane. A great track, albeit one that was very much of the ‘if it ain’t broke’ mentality.

“Evangeline” featured a truly standout riff to begin, something with a bit of a stoner tinge to it. This riff acts as the driving locomotive for the entire track, but it never once felt tired or overdone. While the lyrics retain the traditional ‘epic doomerisms’, they had a pronounced satirical quality to them that I found refreshing and hilarious. It reminded me a bit of Type O Negative in that regard. In fact, Doomcult Messiah (probably not his real name) was a real force on this one. His utterance of the track title was honey to the ears.

While the last track had the guitar and vocals as a standout, “Stigmata”, allowed the bass to shine. This one was abound with some really grooving basswork from Forcas. That’s not to say that the other members of AOD weren’t bringing it as well, Doomcult’s vocals continued to impress me, with some seriously epic emotion in his delivery at points. The drums get a chance to shine in the next track, but Neudi has been thundering the whole album.

“Warning from the Sky” was very stoner-ific from the onset, with some scintillating basslines that would make the almighty Geezer proud. The drums, while a barrage of the crashing of cymbals, were a show-stealer. In truth the entire band has been bringing their absolute A-game the entire album thus far, and it hasn’t yet waned on me… yet.

“Lost in a World of Despair” was more of the same, and at this point, I had begun to want for something more. Nothing was offensively bad or stunningly grand in this one, it just was what it was. A solid enough doom metal track, with great musicianship all around, but nothing really made it standout for me.

“Hungry Hordes of Hades” felt much heavier than the tracks preceding it, reminding me a bit of Reverend Bizarre and then I felt sad because Reverend Bizarre isn’t a band anymore. I knew from the moment that I read the title of this one that it’d be a banger, I mean look at it! Even if the song title was weak as hell, this one was a banger that couldn’t be ignored, particularly in the final 30 seconds. The closing moments of this one featured DM soaring high with falsettos a la King Diamond, or Stone Fang for the modern connoisseur. The riffing and overall music felt slightly tweaked in its arrangement towards the end as well, really making the song catapult into the exosphere (that’s basically space).

For any other record, I’d say the previous track should’ve been the closer, but not for this one. “Anal Worship of the Goatlord”, which was the longest track at just a shade over 10 minutes, opened with a very nice psychedelic-tinged riff that reminded me a bit of Uriah Heep or Iron Butterfly, but still with some of that Sabbath seasoning pinched overtop of it. This is the type of track that I can’t do justice for by speaking, it needs to be heard to understand it, it was perfect epic doom. Plus the final 3 minutes are simply masterful in composition and performance.

Conclusion

I had been looking forward to this one for several months, drawn in by the track titles and the cover art (which is rad btw), and I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. While it wasn’t perfect, no album is, it was still extraordinary epic doom that is sufficiently buoyed by the sheer force behind the final two tracks. If you’re into epic doom or even just power metal, don’t miss this one. General Grievous said it best, ‘This will make a fine addition to my collection.’

TheNwothm Score: 8.5/10

Links

Bandcamp: http://avenger.bandcamp.com/

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ethereal-blasphemy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelofdamnation

Label: Dying Victims Productions