Originally released by Lethal Records (1993), this is a reissue by the German label Galgenstrang Produktionen with completely new artwork.
"Never Again" was re-released on CD in 2010 by Galgenstrang Produktionen & Funeral Industries. The story does not tell why the album's artwork and appearance have been completely renewed once again. This time the front cover illustration "The devil with a bagpipe" (1535) by the German artist Erhard Schön. Original print in the British Museum, London.
The first full-length release from Belial is their (no pun intended here) swan song, as it's not only their best material to date, but it's the last album in which Belial played Black/Death Metal. This album, in a word, is amazing! Belial mixes their heavy layered style of Black/Death Metal with doses of Thrash, 70's Prog Rock, and NWOBHM sounds, to form one of the most enjoyable albums ever. The opening intro is so eerie, you can almost feel your skin crawling as the beat drones on. But, before you can recover from that, "Firestorm" kicks in like a deranged maniac with an axe and proceeds to slice your head clean from your shoulders. The use of keyboards on this album is near perfect, as there's just enough passages on here to help you unwind before the mayhem kicks in again. With song titles like "About Love," "On You" and "Clouds," this may not seem very Death Metal-ish to the uninitiated. Don't be fooled though, this is a monster of an album. Besides the ultra catchiness of the music (trust me, these songs will be playing in your head for days after you hear them), the vocals really stand out. I don't know what demon possessed Jarno Koskinen during the recording of this album, but he sounds downright sadistic. For anyone who has heard prior Belial releases, they know the vocals are extremely brutal. However, they are even more intense on Never Again. Stand out tracks include "Firestorm," "The Red One," "About Love" and "Pain-Flood." A truly memorable release, it's a shame Belial went the way of Goth rock after this.
As with other Belial releases, this one is extremely rare. I haven't seen it for sale in any distro in years, so if you can find it in any format, pick it up immediately.
Sample: youtube.com/watch?v=06aCIfUqrIQ
