Released in August 1987 following a few demos and the legendary “Warfare Noise I” split (also featuring Mutilator, Chakal and Holocausto), “I.N.R.I.” still stands today as one of the most primitive and evil albums ever recorded. Most songs plow ahead at full speed; chock full of blast beats that smack you in the face like a nail board to the fucking face, intense tremolo riffs that cut through the soundwaves like a mad chainsaw killer unleashed from a mental institution hidden deep within the South American jungle, bass that’s only semi-audible yet still beats you over the head every now and then, and the sickest, most evil vocals ever; imagine “Obssessed by Cruelty” era Tom Angelripper experiencing a psychopathic break and you’ll come pretty close to how Antichrist sounds.
The production is raw and ugly, and may take a few listens to get used to, but once it sinks in you won’t regret spending so much time with this record. Some of my favourite tracks are; “Satanic Lust” which opens the album and instantly goes for the throat, “Nightmare” where the band decides to slow the speed down a notch at the beginning leading up to a barrage of intense madness at the end, “Christ’s Death” which contains some of the most inhuman vocals of all time and is an extremely twisted track in itself, and finally “Deathrash” which contains the ultimate South American battle cry of “if you are a false don’t entry”.
To say that this album is just as important as early Sodom, Bathory and Hellhammer would be a fair statement, in my opinion, if you haven’t heard this gem of sloppy and imperfect brilliance, you really are missing out.
Highlights:
Nightmare
Christ's Death
Deathrash
Final Rating:
Masterpiece 9.5/10
