Viking Crown

Innocence From Hell (Necropolis)
by Paul Lee

Phil Anselmo (aka Anton Crowley) spews forth his vile and primitive black metal under the guise of Viking Crown. There’s no sweeping Nordic folk metal or melodic guitar riffs here, just the rawest shit I’ve heard in a long time. Having seen Phil sport Darkthrone t-shirts in numerous pictures, I erroneously assumed that Viking Crown would be similar to the kings of raw Norwegian black metal. How wrong I was! Innocence from Hell is more basic, with similarities to old Bathory and Deathcrush-era Mayhem.

The first time I tried to consume Innocence From Hell, I nearly ripped the CD out of the player and tossed it out the window because I wasn’t prepared for its “necro” sound. But upon repeated listenings, it grew on me like lichen on a gravestone. With an adequate drum machine providing the rhythmic assault, roughly recorded guitars and bass, and the distorted and reverbed screams of Anselmo’s cohort Killjoy from Necrophagia, Viking Crown unleash their malevolence. Not all is violent though, as a couple of melodic and eerie keyboard interludes (reminiscent of Burzum) break up the twisted assault.

I’ve heard that VC’s previous release, Unorthodox Steps of Ritual on Red Stream, is even more underground-sounding. Purists and lovers of the hellish-sound of underground black metal rejoice in Anselmo’s pure chaos. Welcome to his personal hell.
(PO Box 14815 Freemont, CA 94539)