Triumphator was formed in 1995, but it wasn't until 1999 that the Swedish death metal/black metal combo finally recorded its first full-length CD,
Wings of Antichrist -- and it wasn't until early 2000 that this disc became commercially available in North America.
Triumphator isn't big on versatility; after you've heard a few minutes of this predictable CD, you've pretty much heard it all. The band usually favors one tempo -- ultra-fast -- and all of the lyrics deal with Satanism and the occult. Not that you can understand the words that are coming out of vocalist/guitarist Arioch's mouth; his choked, demonic style of singing renders them indecipherable. But despite its obvious limitations,
Wings of Antichrist is a CD that some people in the death metal/black metal underground will enjoy. If you have a taste for this type of extreme metal, amelodic tracks like "Redeemer of Chaos" and "The Triumph of Satan" can be exhilarating.
Wings of Antichrist should not be measured by the same standards one would have for
Ronnie James Dio,
Iron Maiden, and
Judas Priest -- or, for that matter,
Slayer and
Metallica. This release isn't supposed to be musical;
Triumphator's goal was to provide a brutal, ferocious, pounding sensory assault, and the Swedes succeeded. ~ Alex Henderson