Boy, oh boy! Yet another band that has been around for decades is returning with new material! Paragon Belial has existed since 1993, briefly went on hiatus in 1996, and crawled back out in 2005. The band, led by Andras, assembled this F.M.M.S. entirely on his own and now unleashes it eight years after Necrophobic Rituals. It is being released by Folter Records. Well, that is not entirely correct. It is the CD version that is coming out through this label. Those who have been paying close attention will know that this record had already been released on vinyl in October 2025 through Schattenpfade, another German label run by the ever-friendly Adam.
These rough Germans eagerly cough up and spew their (war) black metal over the masses, over the meaningless plebs, and they are more than happy to make the audience swallow F.M.M.S.. Huh? Did I hear you say that? Just take a look below at the list of song titles to figure out what that abbreviation might stand for, and you will immediately understand what I mean.
Eight original tracks and a Sarcofago cover — which you may judge entirely for yourself — are delivered by these three Germans. Do not expect too much embellishment, but rather a great deal of bluster and, above all, an enormous heap of filthy noise. And that is exactly how it should be. Necropest immediately drags you by the hair into the heat of the underworld. Grinding guitar violence, abrasive vocals, and drums that smash and pulverize everything in sight. I have rarely heard anything this brutal. Gurgling throat sounds dominate the disgustingly ugly Belials Mark. And then we immediately arrive at the absolute highlight of this record: Fresst Mutter Marias Scheiße. Certainly not a tasteful song title, but there you go — good luck with that!
These gentlemen will never win any awards for the prettiest riff. On Blood Sacrifice and Arise Of Satans Glory, frantic sliding across the guitar neck continues relentlessly, delivering one sandpaper-like sound after another. Fortunately, the former still allows for a Slayer-esque solo. Compared to the grunts, the screams may sit just a little too prominently in the mix, but that hardly spoils the fun on records like this. Under The Sign Of Satan pounds your balls out of the bag at a steady mid-tempo pace, while Riders Of Leprosy seems intent on doing the same — at least its opening bars certainly give that impression. Endless Blasphemy maintains that steaming tempo and closes out a thoroughly filthy and highly enjoyable record.
Well then, Paragon Belial will never change. And of course they should not. These Germans are more than happy to make everyone swallow F.M.M.S., and rightly so. The music created by this gang of scoundrels is not for the faint-hearted among you. It is a good thing that, besides the vinyl edition, a CD version is also being released, so that even more delicate souls can be won over.
Score:
80/100
Label:
Folter Records, 2026
Tracklisting:
- Necropest
- Belials Mark
- Fresst Mutter Marias Scheiße
- Blood Sacrifice
- Arise Of Satans Glory
- Under The Sign Of Satan
- Riders Of Leprosy
- Endless Blasphemy
- Midnight Queen (Sarcófago cover)
Line-up:
- Andras – Vocals, bass guitar
- Rhabbazz – Drums
- Thyrannoizer – Guitar
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