Belligerence’s second EP.
In 2026, Carlos von Bismarck (guitar/vocals/keyboards), Johan Pastoor (bass, Significance), and Richard Bartsch (drums, Only Worms Left) released Liturgies of the Vile Ones via Lycanthropic Chants.
They have since been joined by a second guitarist, Harry (Blood of Life).
Self-Mutilation Adjured kicks off at a blistering pace with devastating Black/Death Metal featuring virulent, uncompromising riffs that blend lightning-fast passages with slower, mystical moments, while the vocalist screams, amplifying the overall aggression. The band’s influences are easily identifiable to connoisseurs, whether in the massive rhythm section or the searing leads, but the band immediately follows up with The Travesty, a slower, atmospheric track that naturally unfolds its darkness before charging back to an aggressive cruising speed. The track is one of the most diverse on this EP, whereas Reign Through Defilement is far more direct, unflinchingly aligning its riffs with a tempo conducive to pure brutality while embellishing it with that addictive dark touch, just like on Vengeful Slaughter, which follows suit and takes a similar approach in every respect, stringing together blast beats with a few unsettling sections. The finale gives us a chance to catch our breath while savoring the ethereal harmonics, but Liturgies of the Vile Ones, the longest and final track, adds its own unsettling touch before launching into its own riffs, shifting between majestic passages and surges of martial fury, at times even quite jagged and catchy right up until the very last moment.
While Liturgies of the Vile Ones is only Belligerence’s second EP, the band already knows exactly what to do to create waves of overwhelming violence! Effortlessly drawing from both Black and Death Metal, it’s a safe bet that the band will soon join the genre’s biggest names!
95/100
