Welcome to early 1990s... Or so would one think when trying out some stuff on 'The Sacred Lie', that is! Diabolical Imperium was formed in 1997, and released their debut album 'Oktagramm' in 1999. The band went on a hiatus or split up at some point, only to return again in the new millennium. It was 2013 when they managed to get this one out, which is their sophomore album.

Anyway, I was browsing some death metal distro's page and picking up interesting albums, and 'The Sacred Lie' was what I found. Loving their thundering sound, as well as picking up some interesting associations in their music, I was hoping to unearth a a hidden underground gem. As those treasure hunters in you know, it doesn't happen but infrequently, when you have to evaluate something by only a couple of sample songs. This time around I as a matter of fact did discover something special! Only to soon find out, that the band split up in December 2015... Well, their legacy isn't one to be forgotten!!!

I am not going to compare this with the band's other releases: I managed to find just one song from the debut album, so remember, the slate is clean. So, Diabolical Imperium offer heavy death metal. The one band that really comes to my mind when listening to this one is another German one, Fleshcrawl. Diabolical Imperium sound less Swedish; they actually do sound German! The pace of music vary between mid-paced and fast, and sometimes it gets rather slow ('Reconquering...'). Thunderous drums bang and reverberate in sky filled with palls, while transparent, ripping lead guitar dances in hell's flames underneath. A beast with demonic voices roams in this landscape; mainly it is about low-throat, biting growling, with some high-pitched ones accompanying it, at times simultaneously, amplifying the demonic choir effect. Of course the lyrical content revolve around anti-religious things, but also historical themes such as Incas and Egyptians are covered. Most are written in English, but some Italian and Latin can be heard on 'Infernum Dominor'. Nothing is poetic, but straight to the point style texts.

The guitar sound is heavy, fat, rusty, pretty much ruthless. Old Malevolent Creation albums are what it reminds me about. The guitar here is not the most lethal one heard, but still injuring. Together with the leaden bass it creates a substantial string section. By the way, some fretless bass guitar is heard, too, giving that touch of technicality. The acoustic guitar utilized on a few occasion bring in that otherworldly vibe. This takes us to 'Eternal Atmosphere', which reeks of peculiar Loudblast album 'Sublime Dementia' (1993). Anyway, the riffs vary from hammering to fast sawing stuff, with fiery, lacerating lead guitar. Guitar solos are either lunatic fretboard strokes or meticulously composed, memorable pieces. Mainly the songs are aggressive, with some exceptions of melodiousness and acoustic instrumental closer. Plus the ominous church bells intro, where they say to you "follow or suffer..."

'The Sacred Lie' is a good slice of old school death metal from Continental Europe; go get it if you like it that way! For those who want it to sound bonafide: This was also released on vinyl limited to 300, via Deathscent Records. This sounds excellent already on CD, so I only can imagine how devastatingly heavy it sounds on vinyl... Definitely worth checking out, this!

Rating: 7½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
07/11/2016 20:49