The release of Inquisition's fourth full-length black metal album marks a return to, or perhaps journey to for the first time, an incredibly dark form of black metal. Those familiar with the earlier black metal work of this band will recall the sort of anthemic style, songs that come off more as songs of unholy victories than of death and depression. The band claims that this album is "metal 1000%", and they are telling the truth. Nefarious Dismal Orations is Inquisition's heaviest album yet. The production is a subtle change, with less bite in the treble range of the guitars, louder vocals which also appear more and more in the midrange rather than exclusively low-midrange/bass, and a denser but clearer mix of sounds. The drumming is typical Inquisition brilliance, with an overwhelming bass drum pulse and steady, methodical cymbal work. Easily the catchiest, and also one of the best songs on the album, Strike of the Morning Star, is the only remnant of the older, "happier" style of Inquisition. It is easily on par with similar songs from Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan, such as Hail the King of All Heathens and Rituals of Human Sacrifice for Lord Baal. Strike of the Morning Star is the anomaly though. Not in quality, but in atmosphere. In general there are fewer lead parts and not as many slower, ballad-like bridges. The net result of this is a relentless, hypnotic experience.
Deviating more often from the simple riffing structure that has worked so brilliantly in the past, Inquisition meddles in the more atonal region on this album. Another major change is, as I mentioned, more vocal ventures into the upper midrange. Despite the fact that Dagon's vocals have been consistently extraordinary on previous works, this experimentation achieves a positive result and vocals which are better able to match the darker mood of many of the songs. And of course, the higher presence of them in the mix can only be considered a good thing, especially considering that Dagon has impeccable restraint as far as using vocals sparsely at times to create the best possible effect.
I have a few negative things to say about this album, though they are quite minor in the scheme of things. Less of a complaint about the album and more to do with simple nostalgia is the fact that I do miss the brilliant lead melodies which were more abundant on previous albums. Don't be fooled, this album works perfectly without them. In fact, it is safe to say that the increased aggressiveness and gloom of this album allow a slightly stripped down approach to the songwriting. Fortunately, Strike of the Morning Star gives just enough of that melody to satisfy.
I find that the album tends to drag ever so slightly towards the back half. Individually, the songs are stellar. The title track is in true Inquisition title track form, and while the closer is not up to par with the legendary Imperial Hymn for Our Master Satan, it is a powerful conclusion to the album. The main source of the drag I believe is a slightly less diverse mix of styles. If you aren't focusing intently on the last few songs, they tend to blur together more easily than old Inquisition, because though independently very good, they are all roughly the same speed and style.
In the end, I have very little negative to say about this album, and its greatness far outweighs its downfalls. To sum it up in comparison to other Inquisition, I say this. It is darker and heavier than any previous album, it is a definite improvement over Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer, a close rival to Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult with regards to its hypnotic capabilities and atmosphere, and arguably very near as good, overall, as Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan.
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