Inquisition — Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer

Ever since that nasty business with Inquisition being accused of being Nazis last year, the band has been trying to distance themselves from that ideology. Now on Season of Mist, the label has chosen to reissue the band’s back catalogue with all new covers done by the man who did the art for Obscure Verses for the Multiverse, Paolo Girardi. The man’s a talented artist, no doubt about that, but I can’t help but feel that these new covers for the reissues are part of an attempt to put distance between Inquisition and Antichrist Kramer, the man who did most of the band’s previous artwork. For those of you who don’t know, Kramer ran the now defunct NSBM label Satanic Skinhead Propaganda and is linked to a number of allegedly unsavory bands. So I suppose it is understandable that Inquisition wants to separate itself from this image given their recent rise to popularity, but it’s a shame to see some great artwork replaced.

Enough about the artwork, what really matters is the music and in this regard Inquisition does not disappoint. Released two years after their previous album, Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer draws heavily on the two albums that preceded it, and indeed sounds a great deal like the three that would come to follow. If there’s one thing you can say about Inquisition, it’s that they’re consistent. It has Inquisition’s signature riffing, snaking from one riff to the next as fluidly as the movements of a serpent. Guitars intertwine and bounce off each other to create dizzying harmonies one moment and broiling waves of violence like the birth of the universe itself the next. On this particular album, Inquisition pulled back on the extended portions of note bending atmospherics featured in the debut for a more streamlined approach. Well, with the insanely complex guitar acrobatics performed by Dagon, streamlined is perhaps a misleading word. It’s still as jaw-droppingly technical as any, but the songwriting is toned and in your face.

With a leaner musical performance it would be reasonable to expect that the band toned down the atmosphere present on their other albums. That is simply not the case here. Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer is just as atmospheric as any of the band’s album, largely due to Dagon’s one of a kind vocals. They sound like the wizened croaks of a demonologist, hell-bent on bringing about the destruction of mankind. And it would be remiss to talk about Inquisition without mentioning Incubus. As with any two piece, the drumming needs to be exceptionally tight and proficient, and Incubus is the master of doing this without getting flashy. Where most extreme metal drummers get their fame for their insane speed and precision, Incubus’s is based more on the fact that he knows the perfect drum beat to follow any riff. 

It’s kind of funny seeing Inquisition’s recent explosion in popularity given that they haven’t seriously changed their style. It’s practically impossible to go to a gig and not see a dozen Inquisition shirts. If you’re one of the band’s recent converts and haven’t taken the time to delve into their back catalogue, you’re doing yourself and the band a grave disservice. Inquisition is one of those few bands without a single blemish on their record, and it’s great to see them getting the attention they deserve. Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer is an excellent album, and an essential piece of the band’s history and black metal’s as a whole.