The Great Beast

After tremendous sales result for their previous album Infernal Satanic Verse (1999) and after a long tour (with Marduk, Dimmu Borgir, Old Mans Child, Immortal), here comes the fourth album by the most popular German dark satanic metal band : The Great Beast. Without looking at the cover-art you know who we are talking about. Once you see the picture, everything becomes clear (excellent cover-art again done by J.P. Fournier - Immortal, Rain). Satanic or shocking band ? I let you judge. Let's highlight three major point here : 1) production, 2) song-writing, 3) metal style. 1) The production is excellent. The Great Beast has been produced by Gerhard Magin (Crematory, Theater Of Tragedy). Simply their best production so far. 2) Song-writing is good.: After the recent albums of Cradle Of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, Mystic Circle doesn't really deliver us the best black metal album of the year. Far from that in fact. Dimmu Borgir has done a better work on Spiritual Black Dimensions (the new one being out of reach for Mystic Circle). Don't misunderstand me here : it is good ... but far to be anything new. 3) Metal style : I have more or less answered to this point. This Great Beast is a typical Dimmu Borgir's black metal record, with vocals being a little bit darker, but always excellent. Keyboards, reminding you again Dimmu Borgir or Old Mans Child, are also excellent. I guess touring with these bands has left some influences. But nothing to worry about, Mystic Circle is too professional and manage to combine traditional black metal with their own sound. Mystic Circle is currently touring with Marduk and you will have the chance to see them live (at the No Mercy Festival tour). If you like black metal, with satanic lyrics, this one deserve to be in your metal collection. I rather prefer listening to the last two Dimmu Borgir's records, but that's just my taste.