Holy crap, what the singer from ISTIDRAJ delivers here makes even Mika Luttinen’s performance seem like tender children’s singing. Lord Arian Inferno, that’s the name of the daredevil, grunts, screams, chokes and wheezes his way through the songs as if there is no tomorrow, at some moments he actually really tries to perform vocals lines. And since the vocals are much more prominent in the mix than with other bands, the singing is the band’s unmistakable trademark. And I am pretty sure that is where opinions will differ, especially since the musical side sounds more like an old rehearsal room recording by GORGOROTH or IMPALED NAZARENE. A song title like ‘God Fukkin Sodomy Anno 2024 Bastardi’ seems to be a homage to the Finnish lunatics. Aesthetes will turn their noses, but Black Metal never was meant to be pretty. By the way, if you like it rude and uncooked, ISTIDRAJ are active since 1993 and already released, amongst some demos, split-releases and EPs, four albums. So there is a lot to discover. In comparison, SANTET play more traditional Black Metal. If you were mean you could say it is a kind of easy listening Black Metal. Now I am rarely mean and praise the band for their solid and appealing craftsmanship when it comes to music. Symphonic synthesizer intro, majestic opening followed by blast beats – a band like DIMMU BORGIR could not have played it better back in the mid ’90s. That actually says everything about the main influence and style of the band from Indonesia. Anyone who likes this keyboard soaked style, a bit harder than CRADLE OF FILTH, will find happiness here. Since SANTET has been around since 1997 and the band has released nine albums, it is no surprise that the songwriting and sound are absolutely at the top level. All in all, “Verbis Diaboli” is a successful release that combines two varieties of the same genre, definitely a pleasure to listen to for lovers of one style or the other. At this point, an explicit compliment to Iron, Blood And Death Corporation, the last split releases (reviews can be found here on this site), have all been all top notch. Thumbs up! Contact via www.facebook.com/santet.blackmetal, www.facebook.com/istidraj666, www.facebook.com/ibdc666