Ippocalyptica
This is one of the best black metal albums of the past 10 years, and is very nearly equal to anything to have come out of France, behind only Deathspell Omega’s Paracletus and Fas – Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum, and even then, by a small margin. This is just about the highest praise that I could bestow upon any black metal album. I could spend 5000 characters describing why De Praestigiis Angelorum is so incredible, but for the benefit of those seeking succinctness, and at the risk of making too crude a comparison, this masterwork by VI combines the aggression of Antaeus, the melodic sensibilities of Aosoth, and the adventurous and technical songwriting of Deathspell Omega, representing arguably the most simultaneously melodic and dissonant album in the genre. As accessible as Paracletus was for such ambitiously dissonant black metal, this is at least as immediately enjoyable while pushing the envelope a bit further in terms of intensity. This is a landmark of orthodox black metal, but should not be missed by any fan of extreme metal in general.
Favorite track: Il est trop tard pour rendre gloire. Ainsi la lumière sera changée en ombre de la mort..