By: Anders

Posted: Jan 5, 2006

To be honest… a thing I have a hard time not being, which constantly brings me into trouble, funny how many people doesn't like to hear the truth. I was quite sceptical towards this release, for the single reason that Ayat hails from Lebanon. I had a hard time to realize how a band from a Muslim country could capture the hate, misanthropy and "real" attitude, which is needed in black metal. Though as I put the CD in the player, it didn't take long for Ayat to convince me that the band had what it takes, and more. The hatred towards the world, the misanthropy shines through the recorded material, the frustrations are getting screamed out, death and destruction comes forth.

Though when thinking about it, it must bring a lot of strong feelings up in one to live in a country like Lebanon, when one have the ideas and ethics as the members of Ayat, they have something "real" to fight and revolt against, and it surely can be felt in the music.

The music is loud, noisy and straight ahead most of the time, the disc kicks off with 'Possession' a really great and rather frightening track, frustration and hatred are spewed forth and the track really kicks the listener in the head, and after that keeps its grip held tight. A really enormous and gripping tune with a lot of emotion and spirit in it. The atmosphere is dark and evil, this is what black metal is about, and the noisy edge surrounding the track is good and adds a lot to the overall feel.

The second track 'Asylum' is the epic on the album, yet a moving track, not as noisy and rumbling as the first, again atmospheric and gripping. The end of the track displays a vocal assault of unheard dimensions and it serves as a good closer to the epic atmosphere, before the band hits into to the third track 'Laka Il Bayato Ya Moghtasib Il Adyan' which is blazing and hard hitting, again with good vocals. The vocal assault on all 4 tracks on this album is amazing, filled with spite and hate and straight in the face of the listener. Though to round the 3rd off… it almost ends as quickly as it starts, around one and a half minutes of a pure black metal attack, with pounding kick drums, a cold riff and hate.

The 4th track 'The House Of Sacrilege, For All Those Who Sinned, Sin And Will Sin' displays yet again haunting vocal, drenched in effects, shifting it from one channel to the other and once in a while the "normal" scream below a more wicked and out of control scream, an extreme and hostile effect, which is the perfect topping for the noisy guitar track and the chaotic drumming, even though the music often drowns below the insane vocals, but damn it is fitting and adds an unique atmosphere to the track.

This is a release that has surprised me a lot, some of the most furious black metal I have heard in a while. If all bands from the Middle East are as furious and straight forward as Ayat, I await the invasion from there with pleasure. Close-minded or not… this album is a mandatory to check out for all listening to black metal, this is very recommendable. Black metal with a very fresh spirit and a lot of emotion behind it, an arcane thrash spririt below the noise and excellent vocals... I await more material from this band eagerly.

Rating: 8/10

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