Belus

***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! “The Brooklyn trio's Vendetta Records debut is gnarled and complex, spanning various extreme genres but hewing most closely to a malevolent black metal core. BELUS started out as a more down-tempo, blackened doom project, but over the years, has morphed into a much more aggressive prospect (albeit one that has retained a finely-wrought appreciation for atmosphere and dynamism). The overall vibe is as tense and ugly as a 5AM walk home in New York City. Apophenia cultivates a real feeling of immediacy—'Avarice' blasts and howls with palpable urgency, careening by so fast you can almost hear drummer JACQUES JOHNSON's bones rattling—but hasn't fully abandoned its morose doom impulses, or a newfound penchant for smatterings of black 'n' roll grooves. 'Illusions' and 'Omens' offer excellent examples of the band's control over tempo and mood, and lengthy album closer, 'Equilibrium,' makes a solid argument for saving the best for last.”—Noisey