Review by Ben for Mütiilation - Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995)

An underground gem that clearly influenced many future extreme black metal bands.

This is my very first experience with Mutiilation so I wasn't completely sure what to expect. It's not hard to figure after a quick look at the cover and track listing that these French morbids would be producing some form of raw black metal with titles such as Eternal Empire of Majesty Death and Ravens of My Funeral, but nothing prepared me for what was to come. The thing that's so surprising is not necessarily how good Vampires of Black Imperial Blood is, and it is good, but more how incredibly influential this album is. I had absolutely no idea that what I always considered a very American style of black metal originated in France.

RYM member chspiratecd (whatever that means) made the following statement in his review below: "for all you hooligans that discovered this through Xasthur's cover of Black Imperial Blood, smack yourself for listening to US black metal before the French" and I have to admit that he (or she) is bang on the money! Both Xasthur and Leviathan owe an awful lot to Mutiilation for the sound they would produce over 5 years after this release and Black Imperial Blood fit so well on Xasthur's awe inspiring Nocturnal Poisoning album in 2002 that I had absolutely no idea that it was in fact a cover version.

For anyone yet to experience any of the bands listed above, they all create an extremely raw and intentionally underproduced form of black metal with the main goal being rather macabre and unsettling music that seemingly drips with pure atmosphere. The vocals are unrestrained and emotionally impacting, the riffs and melodies cold and somehow distant. If you enjoy bands like Dimmu Borgir or Emperor but haven't delved too far into the extreme depths of the black metal abyss, you may want to check this out before assuming you'll find enjoyment here. I'm certainly not trying to be elitist here, but Vampires of Black Imperial Blood is not for the weak of heart.

So clearly, I think this release has a lot to offer and is certainly an important piece of history, although I wasn't aware of it until just now. But I'm not suggesting it is without flaws in the slightest. The main issue, and one that plagues a fair amount of Xasthur's work also, is that a lot of the tracks have varying recording quality. I'm aware that part of extreme black metal's appeal is that the musicians appear not to care one iota about the listener, but I have to say that it's quite distracting when the sound jumps dramatically between tracks. The guitars are almost hidden on a few and yet quite upfront on others which suggests it was all recorded at various times and with different equipment.

All up though I've discovered a missing link in my black metal knowledge with Mutiilation and I'm damn glad that I've finally made the connection. There's no doubt that I'll be coming back to Vampires of Black Imperial Blood every now and then although I do believe the apprentice overpowered the master once Xasthur rose from the depths. Highlight tracks for me are Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past, Born Under the Master's Spell, Black Imperial Blood and Tears of a Melancholic Vampire.