There is an impenitent filth surrounding Archgoat like a nimbus of sh*t. Raining down from the impious void of "The Apocalyptic Triumphator" is more iconoclastic fare from this trio of Finnish blasphemers, their assault on the sacred still ongoing. Archgoat, like Blasphemy and Beherit, is a slice of black metal's id-the annihilating force driven by the urge to f*** and kill for the glory of Satan. Following the path blazed by Archgoat's former ventures of ferocious black metal singing their semen-filled hymns of desecration, "The Apocalyptic Triumphator" is primitive and unrelentingly atrocious. Better songs than the fine work of "Heavenly Vulva (Christ's Last Rites)" and a massive, deathly discharge spewing from the atonal carnage continue the tomblike orgy soaked in an assortment of bodily fluids best left unknown.Just the total sound of how Archgoat constructs these songs puts a smile on my face. On the surface, it seems Archgoat's riffs and rhythm section patterns seldom deviate. The primitive, simple riffs are almost always followed by brutish blast beats sticking either to a frenzy of speed or a mid-tempo, rhythmic drone of explosions. Truth is, though, there are staggering amounts of care and variation placed in the band's bestial rampage. The first part of the album, especially, takes after the mid-tempo form of percussion, matched by riffs which are more gradual and in no hurry to erupt. "Grand Luciferian Theophany" drops the speed down to its lowest gear, lurching on Archgoat's doom-laden structure like a stalker in the night. We know what we're getting here; this is Archgoat. The excellent riffs never end, and the intensity refuses to relent.
The second half of the album, marked conveniently by an intro, quickens up the tempo. The ravaging massacre of "Congregation of Circumcised" and "Light of Phosphorus" are caught in a frenzy of blasting madness and black metal riffs hammering down like Satan's fist. The way the group is able to mix a bestial, primal atmosphere with riffs, percussion patterns, and vocals all doing their part to convey the ruthless message of Archgoat is superb. There are few bands this flagrantly heavy, and I'm sure "The Apocalyptic Triumphator" will have no trouble using the power of Archgoat's authentic brand of punishment to convey the memo of the hour of doom approaching.
In fact, "The Apocalyptic Triumphator" is probably the best snapshot of Archgoat on a comprehensive level. The variance between the two sides of the record exposes radical shifts in the songwriting scheme, which, though not visible to the uninitiated, opens itself more than other Archgoat releases. Besides the group nailing a peak level of intensity, the songs are loaded up with devilish riffs and the fetid aura of this primitive brand of black metal soaked in Archgoat's embryonic attack. Every factor that makes this band enjoyable is improved and better than ever, and it is my pleasure to call "The Apocalyptic Triumphator" a total metal f*** of death.