Project: Ultimate Satan after teasing with a few singles since 2022 has unleashed their magnum debut, ‘’The Opus Satanas’. The Australian outfit has delivered on the weight of expectation, delivering a gloriously over the top piece of work that lives up to their namesake.
Ultimate Satan has to be deliberately bonkers, and the outfit delivers this in spades. It’s a nihilistic hate filled symphonically charged blackened death metal with outrageous drum programming dual vocals that represent both darkness, light and darkness, it is also politically charged as on the sample riddled ‘’Is This How Freedom Dies” that is offset by the dual vocals , religion is not safe with ‘’Humanity’s Last Breath’’ and the overall extremity that is ‘’Symphony Es Infernus’’ The Opus Satanas is so full of ideas and densely layered arrangements that it takes more than one listen to fully appreciate.
From crushingly heavy to unbelievable fast this is sophisticated music with sparse piano bridges and truly bombastic midsections, the guitar sound is gutturally heavy as a er the male vocals. The female vocals are pristine and clear yet lyrically they offer little respite, comparisons are never fair but, think Dimmu Borgir, Septic flesh and the often overlooked The Project Hate MCMXCIX and you get a semblance of where the Ultimate Satan is coming from.
Symphonic, raw, decadent, complex and incredible heavy ’The Opus Satanas.’ Is a release that is confounding and revels in its visceral extremity without ever becoming self-indulgent, Astounding, ethereal, heavenly and beastly, Project Ultimate Satan has a fire that burns brightly and uncontrollably, no musical idea is left unexplored and the musicianship is excellent. It is not just a debut record but a defining statement and a darkened aggressive statement of intent.
Project: Ultimate Satan: Facebook
Release Year: 2024
Label: Eschatonic Records
Category: Album
Country: Australian
Reviewed by Sparky
