Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick

Type: LP
Released: 2006
Label: Sonic Wave Intl./Moribund Cult Records

Running Time: 69:14

1. World Wide 9... The Calling
2. Necromantic Art
3. 666... Mega Therion
4. Satanic Grimoire
5. Black Magick
6. Chameleon of Witchery
7. Incantations Vibrating From Shadow Demons
8. Metal From Hell... 22nd Century
9. My Will, My Law: Evil
10. Lesser Keys
11. Evoking Asmoday
12. 418 (Bonus Track)
13. Infernal Calling (Bonus Track)

Lyrics

Recording Members:

L.C.F. Eli Elixir - Vox/Lyrx
Patrick Evil - Guitar/Bass
Pete 3 Wicked - Drums

Additional Information:

Recorded at Flatline Audio
Engineered and produced by Dave Otero
Artwork and design by Black Orion Design

Reviews

Living For Metal.com CD Review

Originally an independent release, Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick marks Colorado's Satan's Host complete move into a more complex and epic form of black metal. Reissued by Moribund Records, Satanic Grimoire makes everything that made Burning the Born Again good, better.

Starting with the epic Necromantic Art" until "Black Magick," the first 4 songs on Satanic Grimoire are among Satan's Host's finest. Three of the 4 songs clock in at over 6 minutes. "Necromantic Art" is epic black metal at it's best while "666… Mega Therion" teeters on death metal. Both "Satanic Grimoire" and "Black Magick" lean heavily towards doom metal but each song grow into monstrous feats of black metal. The last 2 minutes of "Black Magick" consist of some of the most extreme and melodic music Satan's Host has crafted.

The energy doesn't stop with the complex and churning Chameleon of Witchery or the re-visioning of "Metal From Hell," a track that originally appeared on Satan's Host's 1986 debut. With L.C.F. Elixir on vocals and Pete 3 Wicked on drums, "Metal From Hell" is given a brutal face-lift that makes the song angrier and darker than the more power metal-based original. The aggression continues with "My Will, My Law: Evil" but things get more epic again with "Lesser Keys."

Much like the first 4 songs, "Lesser Keys" builds around Patrick Evil's epic and melodic guitars. Starting with the acoustic intro and closing in a flurry blast beats, "Lesser Keys" is a testament to Evil's playing.

The album seems to close with a demonic and discordant "Evoking Asmoday" that sound like it could have been used in The Evil Dead movies. And while intended as an outro, the track actually leads to two peculiar bonus tracks.

The first being the drastically death metal "418." Both Evil and Wicked are engaged in a flurry of riffs and rhythm while Elixir's roars are augmented with additional growls from Cephalic Carnage's Lenzig. And while the song lends itself to pure death metal in spots, the closing section is an amazing mash of melodic guitars, doom and grim black metal.

Lenzig again lends his vocals to the final bonus track, "Infernal Calling." "Infernal Calling" finds Satan's Host returning to the more epic yet equally brutal songs that dominate most of Satanic Grimoire. Yet while the brutality is on full blast, the band finds a few moments to stray into an amazing and moody piece that segues into chaotic and melodic brilliance. While both "418" and "Infernal Calling" are listed as bonus tracks, they easily rank among the strongest tracks on the album.

Again, Satan's Host proves to be one of the most diverse bands in the black metal genre and Satanic Grimoire is their crowning achievement. Every self-respecting black metal fan should seek this album out. Actually fans of extreme metal should find Satanic Grimoire because this isn't just excellent black metal, it's also excellent doom and death metal.

-9er

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

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Deadtide.com CD Review

This is the second album from Satan's Host that has been re-issued by Moribund, and I couldn't be more ecstatic. Once again, Satan's Host proves they are one of the best bands in the underground scene. This new version of the CD contains two bonus tracks compared to the original self-released version, and the booklet comes complete with lyrics and extensive imagery for all the tracks.

The recording on this album is what really sticks out. The pure power that is displayed on the drum sounds is what really drives this album. The guitars have a full, crisp sound that is usually only associated with high budget recordings and bigger metal releases, which is all the more impressive since the band self financed this. Vocally, Eli's vocals about as unrelenting a delivery as you can imagine. The style is somewhere between Death Metal and Black Metal, but distinctive enough to make them fresh. There is no clean vocals (with the exception of some spoken parts) and there are times that he reminds me of Mille from Kreator, John from Obituary, and at moments there are hints of bands like Gorgoroth and Mayhem.

Musically, this is one of the most interesting and well-written guitar albums in the extreme scene. There are things in hear, that by description I would think would be on a Nile or Melechesh album, but here they are on a band no one has heard of. The elements are technical and amazingly played and feature well crafted notes and arrangements. It is just not at all what one would expect and make the impact of the songs all the stronger. Combined with the excellent recording and the superb drumming, it is a combination you do not want to miss out on. Once again this band has proved they are one of the best bands to ever grace the Moribund label.

-Myk

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Voices: From the Darkside CD Review

SATAN'S HOST set the bar very high with their previous effort "Burning The Born Again (A New Philosophy)" and how deep my faith in them can be, I was nevertheless anxious to hear if their new record could live up my great expectations. Fortunately, SATAN'S HOST did it again, releasing an album gigantic in musical genius. On "Satanic Grimoire" the band reaches titanic highs in term of song crafting and musical mastery. Believe me, this album is HUGE. First the sound is a vast improvement from the already great achievements SATAN'S HOST obtained previously, the production courtesy of Dave Otero is awesome to say the least, so much it is clear, dynamic and powerful. But that is not enough to guarantee a great album. The songs have to follow, no matter what. Fear not, "Satanic Grimoire" is gorged of fantastic riffs and ideas, delivered by so much passion they become instant classics. More frankly Black Metal now than before, SATAN'S HOST still explore well known forms of music and refresh them, applying to them their secret formula. Like King Midas, SATAN'S HOST transform everything they touch into gold. I know for a fact these warriors of Hell are fans of the most famous European Black Metal bands, but instead of trying to copy them they give their own interpretation of this music, forging their original style mixing all the forms of Heavy Metal subgenres. Once again the musical performance of all the musicians is breathtaking to say the least. Eli Elixir imposes himself as the very best extreme singer on the planet (I am not afraid to write this as I did before), all the lyrics are delivered with clarity and passion, with an unbelievable power, it has to be heard to fully realize the supernatural effect these vocal lines offer! Mere words cannot transcribe this properly I can tell you (especially in a time polluted by easy and false enthusiasms). When it comes to guitarist Patrick "Satan" Evil, well, it is not everyday you will hear a guitarist of more than 20 years of experience playing updated Black Metal. Patrick surpasses himself here; he gives all he can, without any restraint, like if his life depends on it, adding a lot of drama to the songs. He mixes extreme finesse (being not afraid to play an almost lullaby song) with insane brutality, his guitar then becoming a butchering axe in the most literal sense. Drummer Pete 3 Wicked explores here all the possibilities of his kit, from blast beats to thrashing rides, always enriching the music with unexpected fills and rolls, he reminds me of Sir Prosciptor McGovern on more than one occasion, need I say more? "Satanic Grimoire", to give you a faint idea of its content, could have been the Black Metal album KING DIAMOND (the band) could have composed, because of the complex structures of the songs, the variety of atmospheres (some spoken and screamed invocations are included to punctuate the album, they always reach cyclonic proportions, so much the vocals are powerful). In fact the album is so rich music wise that one has to listen to it numerous times to catch it in all its details, to in the end find out it betters with each additional hearing. The version I own is self-issued by the band, so I don't know what the final form (I mean licensed, because I have no doubt this masterpiece will find its public all over the globe) will be, two tracks are listed as extras (no fillers!). SATAN'S HOST deserve all the success possible and above deserve your support. Don't fail to visit their site: www.satanshost.com for tons of info and above all mp3 of the new album that will give proof enough to validate my enthusiastic review. This is what I call Metal. I am happy SATAN'S HOST exist.

-Edouard Vergriete

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Metal Coven CD Review

Released on 6/6/06, long-time Satanic stalwarts Satan's Host prove that after 20 years in the darkest depths of the underground they have plenty of venom in their veins. Hailing from Colorado, Satan's Host has been relentless in their quest for metal supremacy. Even with setbacks like the murder of their original drummer or the cult ties to Jag Panzer (The Tyrant was the vocalist on the debut, "Metal from Hell") Satan's Host has weathered everything and still remains strong, if not stronger than ever before. Following the hellishly inspired "Burning the Born Again (A New Philosophy)" comes Satan's Host's most accomplished outing to date.

"Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick" is a spectacular release for it's fusion of several styles. The band successfully fuses black and death metal aesthetics and with with a solid melodic, doom and thrash base. Album opener, "Necromantic Art," is a progressive 8-minute dirge that starts out with countless layers of guitars, rumbling drums and vocalist Eli Elixer's harsh incantations. As the track builds, it leaps from blast beats and blackend riffs to lofty doom to conclude with a chilling morbid melody. "Necromatic Art" sets the album's tone and the remaining songs do deliver the goods.

"666…Mega Therion," "Satanic Grimoire," and the elegantly crafted "Black Magick" are successful bouts of craftsmanship while "Chameleon of Witchery" and "My Will, My Law: Evil" are riff-intensive affairs. "Black Magick's" flourishes of acoustic guitars and hints of melody perfectly embellish the track and give Satan's Host a welcomed progressive bend. The re-recording of "Metal from Hell…22nd Century" revisits Satan's Host creed and adds newfound fervor. And all this combined that is what makes "Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick" so rewarding. Two of the most accomplished tracks on the album, "418" and "Infernal Calling," are hidden at the end of the album. The collision of intensity and melody exemplify the prowess of Satan's Host. As an added treat, both tracks are also complemented with guest vocals from Cephalic Carnage's Lenzig.

Aside from the impressive roar of Eli Elixir, Pete Wicked's precise drumming and guitarist Patrick Evil's impressive and inspired performance, Dave Otero's production also deserves praise. His combination of thick and crisp tones allow for the progressiveness and complexity of Satan's Host to rise to the forefront.

Satan's Host is perhaps one of the US metal scenes best kept secrets with enough chops to be lords in the Satanic metal scene. "Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick" is by far Satan's Host strongest and most rewarding release to date and if they continue their upward march, they find themselves in more metalheads CD players. "Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick" is recommended for fans of bands like Wurdulak, newer Necrophagia and Belphegor or those looking for metal with a successful combination of craftsmanship, inspiration, intensity and melody.

-Don Rottenbucher

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Metal-Rules.com CD Review

I remember going absolutely nuts when hearing these satanic warriors from Colorado, Satan´s Host´s BURNING THE BORN AGAIN (A NEW PHILOSOPHY) album in this somehow unholy year 2004. For me personally that particular album in question was one of the better discoveries in that year, and I was very amazed and thrilled by the band´s ability to melt together everything from Thrash Metal to Black Metal to Heavy Metal to Death Metal on that release, making a very ear-friendly musical menu of black arts of their very own. The whole album simply oozed a brilliant musicianship of the band - and with that album they truly slayed my heart and soul for their side forever. It could be said - metaphorically speaking, I became a slave of Satan´s Host in no time, I mean, when restricting my sincere enthusiasm to their wonderfully catchy and addictive satanic metal.

Now they have come back with a new release, carrying a masterful and very descriptive title SATANIC GRIMOIRE: A GREATER BLACK MAGICK which basically continues from those musically evil and satanically art-filled fields of greatness where they left off on their previous album BURNING THE BORN AGAIN... But what makes SATANIC GRIMOIRE: A.G.B.M. a bit more superior album (don´t hesitate to spit this fact out high in the air) than their previous effort, is its more energetic, more vile and straight-to-the-point Black Metal´ish approach - added with a respectable dose of well-crafted harmonies and melodies, and a hostile atmosphere that really throws a listener to Hell and back. There´s lots on variety, full of tiny little details on SATANIC GRIMOIRE; actually so much going on all the time that not even an experienced metal music consumer with sharp, healthy pair of ears, isn´t capable of catching everything at the 1st couple of spins. Everything on this album sounds very thought-out and polished to the final chalk lines, including the clear (but not over-polished!) production of Dave Otero who seems to have an undestanding for this type of metal music that Satan´s Host represents for.

From the spoken intro "World Wide 9... The Calling" to the last song "Infernal Calling" on SATANIC GRIMOIRE..., this is pure black´ish metal mayhem at its most entertaining, catchiest, devilish and unholiest form. As a such highly talented band that Satan´s Host undoubtedly is, it´s a true mystery for me why they have remained so unknown name for bigger masses for so long, creating their own uncompromising, high quality underground satanic metal in the darkest catacombs of theirs on the quiet. They absolutely do deserve more recognition than what they have achieved thus far as with the material of this strong they beat most of today´s so-called ´evil´ clowns. So now go and buy their albums - each of you, or be destined to perish in the hottest flames of Hell!!

-Luxi Lahtinen

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Interviews

Interview with Eli Elixir

Elixir: First off, Thanks for your Support and Energy, as with your Powerful words of Inspiration and Fire. True: We are in League with Satan (Metal...666).

Metal Insanity: When did you guys first get together and say, "Lets start a band!"?

Elixir: Well when the words " Lets start a band" were uttered and breathed into life was in the late 70's. Then our Metal-Muzik momentum began to formulate with direction and progress in the early 80's. Which led to our 1986 first full-length release entitled "Metal From Hell" that took form and was released in the USA and Europe. Though there have been numerous line-up changes through out our twenty year professional career, we have managed to keep the Sword of Satan burning through these trenches of Hell. With our new cd release entitled: "Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick", which will be released in the fall of 2006 under the Sonic Wave Intl. Record Label...( www.sonicwaveintl.com ) We are living proof that perseverance, determination, Belief in yourself and a Powerful Will can take you a long way in this life of Magick and Metal.

Metal Insanity: How did you guys come up with your name, Satan's Host?

Elixir: The name came to us from our studies in Magick, and in our belief systems of the Left Hand Path way of life. We created a hybrid out of two different parodies, forming from what surrounds us here in the four corners of the United States. We truly do thank give thanks unto Aleister Crowley and Anton Lavey. As we honor them and take pride in what these two Masters have influenced within us...Evil-Divine. Ave. Lucifer...999.

Metal Insanity: What instruments do you guys prefer? ( Brand Names.)

Elixir: I exclusively use Shure Mics. Patrick Evil is endorsed by Schecter Guitars...7 Strings, and is endorsed by Engl Amps USA. Giving thanks to Michael C. of Schecter Guitars and Jeff "The German Genius" from Engl Amps USA. You two are Evil-Divine Craftsmen in the realm of Metal...666 Pete 3 Wicked uses Yamaha Drums...Thanks Tim Kae with Drumcity USA.

Metal Insanity: What are your major influences, Music wise, and Life wise?

Elixir: Nice questions Bro. There are various of influences in the realm of music, as with generations of Metal, and the various of genera that has manifested throughout the decades. To begin with, first and foremost would be Black Sabbath, Riot with Rhett Forester on Vocals, Venom, Bathory, Accept, Angel Witch, Scorpions, Kiss, Kreator, Deicide, Dissection, Dark Funeral, Mayhem, mainly groups that push the envelope of metal compositions. We have even been influenced by classical music...Paganini, Wagner, Bach, Beethoven and Berlioz. As far as what influences us in Life. Satanism...Anton Lavey, Luciferian Witchcraft and Philosophies, Left Hand Path way of Life. Aleister Crowley...Magick, Lesser Keys...King Solomon. Henry Cornelius Aggripa...Occult Philosophies. Necronomicon...Simon. Friedrich Nietzsche...The Will To Power. Here are just a few of the great minds that have influenced us and our works through out the past, the now and into the future. Enjoy my fellow Metal-Warriors.

Metal Insanity: Are there any secrets that you guys would like to share?

Elixir: Secrets... No secrets, only methods to attain greatness within yourselves. "Believe in Magick, Believe in yourself." Surround yourself or your group or organization with those of like minds, and you will find a new found Power towards Greatness and Success. Ave. Lucifer...999.

Metal Insanity: How do fans react to your guys' shows?

Elixir: Evil-Divine. The Metal Warriors react with a fire that only Satan would be proud of. They truly do release their inner Primal Demon, and radiate the gigs with a Monstrous Power and Energy. They are totally part of the Ceremony / Show that we conduct. The pit if brutal and filled with action, the headbangers are thrashing like there is no tomorrow. Stage diving is fuckin' awesome when it hits the pentacle of action during the gigs. As a fan of Metal it is an experience that one must be part of to understand and appreciate. You will leave a Satan's Host Show with an enlightenment and better understanding of your inner demon self. Metal...666

Metal Insanity: What is your latest cd called?

Elixir: Our latest cd is entitled: "Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick."

Metal Insanity: Where can fans pick it up?

Elixir: The release of this new Metal Masterpiece will be available World Wide in the Fall of 2006. Fans can pick up their own copy at www.SonicWaveIntl.com www.Amazon.com or they can order it at their favorite local record stores. It is easy to attain, all you need is the will.

Metal Insanity: Thanx for the interview and Hail Satan!

-Whiteboi2412

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