Rating: 8.3 Release Date: 2005 Record Label: Blasfemia Records Track list:
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Parabellum - Tempes Mortis
I don't have a bloody clue what they were putting in the water in Medellin, Colombia, but the city's place in extreme metal history has been cemented and consolidated by the mindmeltingly intense exploits of Colombia's foremost exports, Reéncarnacion, Blasfemia and Parabellum. Of this unholy trinity, Parabellum was CLEARLY the most extreme and the most unhinged, and 19 years later, 1987's brazen 'Sacrilegio' MLP is still as confounding and curiously fascinating as it undoubtedly was on release date. Beherit years early, a Colombian Archgoat, 'Gods Of War' meets 'INRI' meets 'Satanic Blood' meets Fantomas, all these descriptors wouldn't be terribly off-base when describing the malicious maelstrom that is 'Sacrilegio', an absolute trainwreck of an album that treads the somewhat thin line between chaotic, reckless black/thrash and absolutely outrageous, senseless absurdity. Do let it be said, then, that if you find Hellhammer, Poison, Necrovore, Reencarnacion and Sarcofago hard to stomach, there is absolutely no place for you here- this absolutely outdoes any and all of those bands in terms of violent abandon. Simply put, I haven't the slightest clue what these motherfuckers were on- even if you were to synthesize and amalgamate 'Bloody Vengeance', 'Lust For Death', 'In The Sign Of Evil', 'Sexual Carnage', 'Guerra Total' and '888 Metal', you would not even begin to approach the absolute weirdness and uncompromising extremity of this recording, which is so loose and frayed-at-the-seams that one can only suggest that each offering presented is a result of spazzed-out, fucked-up jam sessions. The two tracks from the 'Sacrilegio' MLP are by far the most structured and approachable numbers on the record, opener “Encendro 666” flaunting a host of convincing first wave death/black metal riffs that wouldn't be out of place on Sodom's 'Witching Metal' demo, or 'Satanic Rites'. It all starts to fall apart, of course, when Cipriano Alvarez introduces some truly madcap snare drum rolls. I can't even BEGIN to tell you what is unraveling at this point, as it would appear to me that, while everything within the song is contained within a reasonably discernible and comparatively compact structure, there are points within the song where each member of the band finds it feasible to embark upon his own freeform song. “Loose” doesn't even begin to explain it here- these guys don't just push at the seams, they fucking SLASH the seams wide open and gut the tailor. The abstract, totally perplexing final passage of the song promises to coagulate into an AWESOME apocalyptic breakdown, but leaves the listener adrift in unfulfilled expectation, only to be further confused by the equally discombobulating “Madre Muerte”, where GRUESOME, hellacious lashes of outrageously distorted guitar duel with haphazard rhythms and garrulous scatting courtesy of Ramon Restrepo. From that point we shift into a ludicrously messy wall of speed-picked guitar noise, undergirded by more snare rolls and spare kick drums. A Hellhammer/Poison riff seeps into the mix, alternating with grindier, almost Ratos De Porao meets 'Scum' sections. It's all so exotic and totally senseless, yet weirdly alluring and rather brilliant. The 'Mutacion Por Radiacion' MLP kicks off sounding like Hellhammer being interpreted by the Tribes Of Neurot - primal, primordial first wave death metal supported by absolutely strange tribal tom work, alternating between dirgey Amebix punk/sludge and squalls of bizarre guitar noise. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?! WHY AM I SO COMPELLED AND INTRIGUED BY THIS NONSENSE? Honestly, there are points in this song where I am more anxious to draw comparisons to Throbbing Gristle than Tormentor, the stuff is really that abrasive, noisy and left-of-center. The title track is a tad more cohesive, reflecting the very tangible similarities the band shared with Slaughter, Poison, Hellhammer and early Sodom, plying a similarly amateurish and primitive approach to slurred, nefarious, simplistic riffing and oppressive atmosphere, as well as a kindred affinity to Discharge and Amebix -esque crust, crudeness and cruelty. Tracks 5 to 10 is where it all begins to spin very, very wildly out of control. Sound quality is as HARSH as it gets, perhaps not quite as piercing and off-putting as, say, Poison's 'Sons Of Darkness', but approaching those levels of thinness/coarseness. The comparisons between this and 'Sons Of Darkness' are even more apt when one considers the circumstances in which they were conceived- both were recorded in their drummer's bedrooms (!!!). Note, also, that these rehearsal recordings date back to 1984/85 (insert another set of exclamation marks here), which would have placed Parabellum just a year after Sodom and Hellhammer (though they thoroughly outdid both in terms of extremity and voracity) and as contemporaries of Slaughter, Master and Poison. Honestly, though, nothing on the two MLPs could possibly prepare you for the sheer depravity and audacity of these recordings, which could only be the result of nightmarish acid binges and resulting improvisational sprees. Vocals here are even MORE spiteful and hellish than on the later MLPs, the guitars sound even SICKER thanks to the vacuum-like effect of the recording, drums clang and clatter clumsily in the distance, cymbals clashing/crashing through the mix as the snare struggles to crawl through the claustrophobic, apocalyptic mess. This stuff sounds debauched and wasted, yet intensely energetic and absolutely spiteful…quite hard to describe how it walks so delicately upon that line between savagery and silliness. At the end of the day, you're either going to loathe or love this. If you have any sort of appreciation for the likes of Beherit, Sadistik Exekution, Sarcofago, Hellhammer, VON, Blasphemy, Bestial Summoning, Necrovore, Bestial Warlust, Mystifier, Nuclear Death you will find much to savor here, though you must be prepared to devote a fair amount of time to it, as it is in many senses harsher than many of the aforementioned bands. Parallels and comparisons really fall short here, I could just as easily mention the first two Voivod albums (for the post-apocalypse, bleak wasteland feel of the recordings), GISM and Ratos De Porao as I could Master, but I can't help but wonder if Bernie of the masterful Lust has ever gleaned inspiration from this platter, as Lust's 'Genesis Of A Satanic Race' exhibits a similar synthesis of more coherent first wave death metal parts with generous splatters of unhinged, holocaustic devil-grind. Regardless of whether it receives widespread appeal (it assuredly will not), this is an important reissue and I for one am very thankful to have this on my shelves.
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