review by: Roberto Martinelli

What the fuck was I thinking? I was so wrapped up in Leviathan's Seven that I actually thought Inclement Derision wasn't as good. I suppose this is because Inclement Derision isn't as overtly gloomy and ominously depressing. As Leviathan's Wrest states in the interview in this issue, he's continuing to progress past the mid-paced style that he has proved time and again to have mastered, and is challenging himself by incorporating elements of math rock and some Swans-type material into the fold (not to mention the windchimes that Wrest talks about in the interview). The result is outstanding; waver it does not from the Leviathan objective: to make sordid black metal.

While the musical compositions may technically be less black metal than before, the vibe is still 100% there, and now there's more for your musical ear to listen to.

Leviathan is going through major creative growth, as Wrest breathes new life into his riffs and structures. "Now Hallow," the final track, has a death metal sound and features a killer bass/drums/vocals breakdown. As a result, instead of the album standing as a sort of a whole body of a ride into infinite grimness, the tracks stand out. "Now Hallow" contains the only moment that one could call touching in all of Leviathan's discography, as a lull in the music is opened, and a coherent "I would have given you anything" is heard. According to Wrest, most of the songs on Inclement Derision are about women. Holy shit.

Track four, "Whole of Deceit," sees the albums most concentrated use of odd times. This is followed by my personal favorite on the album, "Parasite," which features one of those godly cathartic riffs that Wrest seems to incorporate into each of his releases.

The production is at its best, as Wrest tightens what little bolts on his Roland V-Drum kit that gave the drum sound away as being triggered on Seven. I think I initially wasn't as taken with Inclement Derision as the use of my favorite Burzum Filosofem vocals is used sparingly, and I missed them. They do make an appearance on the final track, but Wrest lowers the pitch of the vox, still running them through his guitar pod, but making them more earthy. The filthy croaking style is still in full effect. Fuck yeah, that shit rules! While this latest album is "only" 51 minutes long, Inclement Derision stands as yet another milestone in Leviathan's development. You must get your hands on Leviathan material. You heard it here first.