The ninth album from Pennsylvania’s blackened death metal veterans is business as usual and shows Sathanas sticking to their formulaic, mid-paced thrash assault.
Extremely catchy riffs weave seamlessly together in perfect clarity and precision, but any bestial atmosphere or vitality is ironed out by an all-too-clean and crisp production.
Mixed by Funeral Mist and Watain collaborator Tore Stjerna at his infamous Necromorbus studio in Sweden, Worship The Devil shows all the hallmarks of old-guard black and death metal, and fans of a more accessible approach will revel in the finely executed groove and pounding gallop.
Sadly Sathanas seems to be devoid of any real urgency or danger of the other aforementioned Necromorbus affiliates. After 25 years the band have commendably stuck to their guns and developed a strong quality control and tightness, and although satisfying in old-school simplicity, fails to capture the spirit of those times with enough atmosphere that bands like Nifelheim or Marduk can still conjure after such a lengthy career./o:p
