Review of “Before Whom Evil Trembles” by Apep

In Egyptian mythology, Apep (or Apophis) is the counterpart of the supreme sun god, the embodiment of darkness and chaos. Described as the “Lord of Disorder,” the serpent god is at war with Re on a daily basis. The sun itself was believed to be the barque of Re, steered by the scarab-faced god Khepri and guarded by numerous gods such as Set and the Eye of Re, casting light upon the earth before descending into the underworld and rising from the dead the next day. In keeping with the common trait of Egyptian religion that man’s invaluable contribution is the daily rituals of the priests ensured that Re remained safe and intact. What would happen if Apep caught Re? The world would be plunged into darkness and chaos, returning to the primordial waters of Nu.

This apocalypse, the devastation of maatand the iniquity of man are embodied by the German black death metal band WowCreated in 2016 and releasing its first full-length album in 2020, the formidable The Immortal’s SummoningThe main palette of unadorned black death metal, whose intensity can sometimes border on war metal, continues in Before whom evil trembles. With just a touch of desert sand, the second album is far from a downfall. Instead, it is characterized by frenetic riffs, underworld-rending vocals, and a funereal slowness, using the uneven tuning found in much traditional Arabic music. Of course, Wow may not be the end of the world and Re escapes capture in Before whom evil tremblesbut the battle is epic.

Of course, it is unfair that WowThe release date of is a little too close for comfort elephant sphinx in the room: Nile‘s The underworld awaits us allAny death metal band with an Egyptian mythology theme will face this inevitability, as evidenced by the rankings of acts like Croissant, BeetleOr Maat. The comparison is ultimately unfair, because the unique technicality and brutality of North Carolina law is its hallmark, while WowThe album is more of a wild, groovy romp akin to Opponent or from a later time Beheaded. Arabic folk is most evident in the acoustic interludes (“Wanderers in the Waste,” among others), but it’s far from the star of the show. Songs like “Enslaving the Putrefied Remnants of the Deceased” and “Before Whom Evil Trembles (Goddess of Carnage)” are all-out assaults, blazing tremolo giving way to chunky riffs as Mr. Friedrich’s frenetic drumming marches along, guided by vocalist C. Fleckeisen’s gravelly war cries. Guitarists O. Pikowski and P. Kühn bring a technicality that injects a warlike madness into “The Pillars of Betrayal” and “Tombs of Eternity”; while firmly rooted in the traditional MENA music mode, WowThere’s a distinct descending quality to ‘s style, like Re’s race towards the underworld. Tempo is also used to a devastating degree in these tracks, with the slower tracks feeling obscenely heavy and climactic to conclude.

While Before whom evil trembles attacks viciously and tastefully and ends on a more contemplative note, the early tracks pale in comparison, fading into a heavy blur. Likewise, the vocals can come across as loud and monotonous. Fleckeisen is a talented singer, but the dominance of his growl in the mix robs the album of its impact. Likewise, drummer Friedrich often opts for a punk-inspired blast beat style that adds to WowThe game’s frantic pace begins to take its toll when some sections could benefit from a blacked-out speed. Yet the second half of Before whom evil trembles is clearly more dynamic than the first. WowThe best songs on are the later “The Breath of Kheti” and “Swallowed by Silent Sands”, which fuse folk rhythms and melodies with metal, the former’s more playful, danceable beats adding to the unleashed mania, while the latter’s behemoth features more menacing plucks and sprawling patience saturating its ten-minute runtime.

Wow‘s Before whom evil trembles It feels like a pyramid is falling on you. It’s a fast-paced, uncompromising riff-fest with just enough Egyptian flair to transport you to an ancient world of doomed gods and desolate sands, even if it’s not always memorable. Although it’s probably unfair to compare it to Nile, Before whom evil trembles it lacks the punch needed to create the dazzling impact that the German quartet are clearly capable of. Wow pursues his own Re, and while Before whom evil trembles It is not the serpent that captures the sun, it is the approaching day when the earth will be bathed in chaos.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format reviewed: mp3 320 kbps
Label: War Hymn Records
Websites: apep.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ApepBand
Worldwide releases: September 13, 2024

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