Archon Satani - Mind Of Flesh And Bones

I hate having to write about Blackened occult Ambience. There's only so many times I can use the words 'Crowley', 'Athame', 'Satan'and 'nun-goat' before it loses its appeal.

Fortunately, I have to write about the exceptionally elusive and totally cult and infamous Archon Satani. What more can one say about a project, when it's offshoot bands are all absolutely huge themselves? Ordo (Rosarius) Equilibrio, and Inanna.

Cold Spring records have given us an early Yuletide present by re-releasing the previously unavailable 'Mind of Flesh and Bones', released in 1993.

Here is a history lesson for you. Which other Cold Spring act, made its debut with a very similar sounding black ambient tape, also in 1993? I'll give you until the end of the review to figure it out.

My first observation is the utter minimalism here, none of the tracks are titled (and neither do they need to be), but in all fairness, if Archon Satani were to have ever recorded a conventional release, they would have been laughed out of the scene.

They really have earned that much of a reputation, and with an opening song that sounds exactly like a bandaged and amputated sacrifice being carted across a steel floor, while Lucifer blows his black trumpets in mocking laughter, who the fuck needs conventional? For all contents and purposes, this fits as well into the category of 'Death Industrial; as it does anything else. In fact, one could easily be listening to Megaptera, under the guise of Luciferian Canto, corrupting and orating blasphemous intent, while the murderous sounds reach their crescendo.

This carries as many unique and tangible originalities in its sound as anything that Ordo (Rosarius) Equilibrio or Inanna ever produced (and continue to produce), and for a band so baptised in minimalism, it is no wonder to discover that there is not even a single Archon Satani website.

Suffice to say that a Tome as dangerous and perverted as this would just get lost in translation when equated with the internet anyway. Somethings just don;t work together. Satan and the Internet. Peanut Butter and Jam. Not to mention my personal favourite, Blowjobs and partners with hideously sharp teeth. An experience no less painful than listening to this with a Christian relative in the next room.

Minimal music such as this doesn;t leave me with anything to say about it really, You already know what to expect, and if you don;t, I shall sum it up in one short stanza.

Necro-bestial heresy, carved on a slab of icy marble, with carnal lust, and sadistic satanic desires, betwixt echoing nightmares and orgasmic sodomy.

There. Perfect. Who can say no to that? It really is that simple, ultra occult, ultra ritual, ultra minimal.. Fucking good though. Even scarier than that trumpet track on the second Akercocke album.

And the trivia answer : Endura. Now signed to Cold Spring as TenHornedBeast, they released their demo tape'Hexe' in 1993, under the monicker 'aBRAXAS'. Also a fucking amazing tape. Expect a review on here sometime. Oct 10 2006