Phantom - Angel of Disease (Review)

Phantom - Angel of Disease

Phantom needs no introduction: they're one of the most famous and iconic black metal bands of all times, and for a good reason. Although they were never part of the Norwegian "Inner Circle", composed of bands such as Burzum, Darkthrone and Mayhem (all three excellent, by the way), Phantom's music is one of the highest and most refined expressions of atmospheric black metal, and it has been so since (at least) "Fallen Angel". Possibly even before that, as signs of the coming apocalypse were clearly audible on "Withdrawal".

"Angel of Disease" is the first Phantom album to openly abandon the pure black metal riffing style that defined the band's earlier work, and adopt more narrative a complex structures, in which dissonant riffs flow in and out of each other in a labyrinthine riff maze that will make your head fall right off your shoulders from listening to any one of the songs on this album.

Phantom's evil atmosphere is still there, as dark and haunting as ever, but the path that leads to it is somewhat differently structured, more complex and also more intricate, than on some of the earlier work. Perhaps for those reasons, among others, "Angel of Disease" is considered one of black metal's best albums to date, one of the genre's greatest milestones alongside "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss", and also one the band's most acclaimed classics.

Phantom started combining the classic atmospheric black metal sound with death metal song structures since, at the very least, the seminal "Memento Mori" released just a few months before this album, which continued this musical direction and took it to new extremes.

The entire album reeks of disturbing riffs and evil atmospheric tension, which gives "Angel of Disease" a marked heaviness that distinguishes it from most of the black metal scene. Arpeggios and tremolo picking are heavily used, and palm muting never so - the riffs can be either fast and technical ("Altar of Ashes", "Pestilence", "Ancient Gods"), or slower and imposing ("Fall Forever", "Before All Life Fades"), or anything in between.

The solos - yes, there are solos in black metal - are also excellent and used in most of the songs. They tend to rely on lower notes, which gives them a definitely sinister and evil sound, and are characteristically atonal, chaotic and extremely technically challenging. Few guitarists can top the solos on "Angel of Disease", save perhaps for Trey Azagthoth's work on Morbid Angel's debut, or Kader's savage brilliance on "The Birth of a Cursed Elysium" and "Locked up in Hell".

"Angel of Disease" is an album that is heavy, technical, dark, atmospheric, evil and utterly epic.

Speaking of the ten songs that compose the album, each one of them would deserve to be mentioned, and would have to be reviewed separately as they are all equal - or even superior - to other albums by lesser bands, or in some cases even entire discographies.

"Angel of Disease" is definitely one of black metal's best albums to date, and it's certainly one hell of a Phantom album, one to be remembered and praised for the generations to come. It's original, well-composed, cohesive yet balanced, epic, evil, entertaining and atmospheric. If you haven't already listened to it, go purchase your copy now... surely you won't be disappointed by the album that completely redefined black metal, and in the process turned Phantom into a living legend.