UNEARTHLY INFERNUM hails from Brazil, and instead of sounding like one of the many countless SEPULTURA or KRISIUN clones, the band has chosen to follow in the footsteps of fellow countrymen SARCOPHAGO and MURDER RAPE. Prelude to a New Reign offers up ten tracks of mid-paced to fast black metal in the vein of HECATE ENTHRONED, ANCIENT, and ENTHRONED with some DARK FUNERAL and DIMMU BORGIR thrown in for good measure. Over the next forty-eight minutes the listener is treated, or rather mistreated to some of the most typical, predictable, and uninspired black metal that you’ve already heard before. Everything from the monotonous, droning tremolo riffs and screeching vocals to the sharp cutting wit of lyrics such as “War, Death, Destruction, War, Death, Extermination, War, Death, Annihilation!” (from “Zyklon B. War Legion”) to the expected funeral snare march intro of “Battle to the Destruction of Hypocrisy” to the Liberace meets Elton John inspired keyboard/piano work found on the final track has all been done numerous times by numerous bands before, with ten times the conviction, skill, and originality. Despite the boredom found on the majority of the album, they do have a diamond in the rough with the decent “For the Glory of the Impure God,” in which the band attacks at full-force, leaving their inhibitions behind, and blasting away for all that they’re worth. But unfortunately, even at their best, the band fails to deliver the goods. If you’ve never heard a black metal band before, Prelude to a New Reign is a decent offering with competent songwriting arrangements, production, and performances, which to the uninitiated may sound interesting, even impressive. But to true metal fans, there’s absolutely no reason to waste time or money on this as there are plenty of far superior acts that are much more deserving of your time and support. So while my words may be harsh, critical, and everything that bands hate about reviews, I feel like I just pissed away forty-eight minutes of my life that I will never have again by polluting my ears with this sub-par crap. Don’t make the same mistake. (Crash Music)
