Review BELLIGERENCE “Liturgies of the Vile Ones” – EP

Hailing from Berlin, Germany, Belligerence is a young metal force. The trio — Johan, Richard and Carlos — formed in 2022 and launched an EP called “Eschaton Foretold”, which showcased their talent. With their next EP, “Liturgies of the Vile Ones”, the band is taking the next step.

Belligerence’s sound is inspired by bands like Behemoth, but Morbid Angel is also clearly present in these five death metal smashers. Building on these influences, the band has managed to create its own musical identity. There are blastbeat passages, as in “The Travesty” while the band also works with surgical precision. Some pace breaks, like in “Self-Mutilation Adjured”, deliver an exciting twist, making listening to the album a much richer experience than just riding the speed train.

With “Reign Through Defilement”, the band adds thrash metal elements to their brutal death metal sound. It is these little twists and turns that make this EP so entertaining.

Another positive aspect is the production. “Liturgies of the Vile Ones” is brutal and extremely heavy. At the same time, the sound is clean and balanced without losing any of the aggressive dynamics of the songs.

Belligerence have launched an EP containing stunning death metal. With meat cleaver riffs, deep growls and brutal blastbeats, this release has it all. “Liturgies of the Vile Ones” features pulverising death metal songs, and everyone should keep these guys on their metal radar.