Reverend Bizarre – Death Is Glory… Now

site | label | buy

As their parting shot before disbanding the less-than-prolific Finlands most successful doom band put together this double-disc anthology to coincide with their final 12″ single. Where anthologys are normally compiled from a band’s albums to date and maybe include one or two new or unreleased tracks to tempt fans who already own them all. The difference with Reverend Bizarre’s anthology is that none of the songs on it have appeared on CD before. Every track, seven originals and six covers, has only been released on 7″/12″ EPs and split singles. Since most fans are unlikely to have record players anymore this should be a hit release with the base it’s aimed at. Some of the recordings, being of the b-side variety, are a little rough around the edges, but from the very-Cathedral Blood On Satan’s Claw to the remarkably short Odinn’s Men and some of the frankly visionary cover versions on disc two, everything here is both unmistakeably Reverend Bizarre, and wildly varied from their more well-known releases. Ending at quite possibly their peak, the members have moved no to new bands (Lord Vicar and The Puritan, in particular), but their body of work in just ten years is immense, as ten-minute-plus tracks like Demons Annoying Me and From The Void II here are testament to.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Doom Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Reverend Bizarre