Impressions: Haemoth's "In Nomine Odium"

If you looked at my Top 40 Metal Albums of 2011 list, you no doubt noticed that my tastes lean towards the blackened side of the metal word. I swear I listen to a lot of other styles, but for some reason black metal is where I gravitate. Over that last 5 or so years I have become a huge fan of underground French black metal. There's just something about that scene that really clicks with me, and this year saw great releases (Aosoth's III) from some of the Frances best.

One release that didn't hit my radar until very recently is Haemoth's In Nomine Odium. Haemoth are a two-piece consisting of Haemoth (vocals, guitars, bass) and Syht (drums) firmly rooted in the occult.  I grabbed a copy of their latest crusher over the weekend and have been steadily working my way through each putrid passage. After a full week of non-stop spinning I have concluded that In Nomine Odium fucking rules.

There are a lot of reasons why I enjoy this album, but the main thing that keeps me coming back is the perfect balance of unrelenting chaos and suffocating atmosphere. I particularly love the vocals on this release (possibly because they remind me of Corvus when he was with Horna) and I think they are the element that ties everything together. That isn't to say that the album is particularly lacking in any one area, but a different vocal style would not suit this maelstrom of satanic glory. The guitar work throughout In Nomine... is top-notch, and makes me think of Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam era Gorgoroth (which is a good thing).


There are moments on In Nomine Odium that drag on a little too long, but they are few and far between. This album is pretty much bullshit free. What you get are 45 minutes of blackened fury. I wish I had known about this one earlier in the year because I have a feeling it would have had a spot on my year-end list. If you fancy black metal this album should be a no-brainer for you, and if you don't like black metal then why the fuck did you read this far?

HAEMOTH - SON OF THE BLACK LIGHT

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