Sear Bliss - Glory And Perdition CD Review

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2005-02-27 : PM : Link
SEAR BLISS “GLORY AND PERDITION” 9.0

We’re before Sear’s sixth album! Yeah, they’ve got many years on the road! “Glory and Perdition” comes in the same vein as “Forsaken Symphony” but this time it’s got a better production. The distortion is sounds more clearly, and the keys atmospheres have a lower volume (nice and creative); the album got also an additional load! Indeed they still playing the trombone and the arrangements from the other instruments still are converging to support it - I’m still impressed with the great sonorous result the trombone gives to their music! I couldn’t point out one single song! The whole album is very interesting; the tracks are well connected one to another and there’s also the feeling that the songs have no end. Do not strange yourself if you listen to the whole album every time you play it! Hail Hungarian Black Metal!
2005-01-28 : Patrick : Link
Sear Bliss is a Hungarian black metal representative absorbed the best traditions of the whole black metal brotherhood. I'll try to overview the musical palette of "Glory And Perdition" in detail: diverse, speedy and sometimes moderate riffs, decent scream (by the way, couple of tracks feature guest appearance by Attila Csihar (Aborym/Mayhem)) and, as usual, lots of blastbeats. But this is not all, here are some spirits of the cd - numerous samples and keyboards (believe me, this does not contribute to material being "pauser" or sickly-sweet) and... trombone! :) Well, the presense of the latter instrument I considered not apt in some parts. Maybe this is because I am not used to it, or musicians got it wrong. Whatever the reason, generally trombone is hailed! Of refreshments I would name good, somewhat "cosmic" and interesting lyrics, which most black metal bands fail to write; splendid production (HSB Studio) and rich design of both the cover art and booklet. All of the above keeps the mark of Sear Bliss on the high level, while the album deserves candidacy of being in the "Best 5" of "Best 3" amongst black metal bands of the year 2004. By the way, maybe we should organise a chart, what do you think?
So, "Glory And Perdition" is one of many black metal releases of the last years as this album has struck me deeply. This album can be listened to without any discussion. Bravo, Sear Bliss! Bravo, Red Stream! Bravo!
2004-12-02 : Patrick : Link
SEAR BLISS
Glory and Perdition
(Red Stream)
Rating - 9.5/10

Long one of the world's finest and most underrated black/death metal bands,
Sear Bliss have returned with another harrowing yet entrancing
masterpiece. Fast, heavy guitars battle astral keys and the band's
trademark trumpet, while mainman András Nagy lays down some seriously grim
vocals. Saying this is the band's best album is difficult because The
Haunting is such a classic, but it is damn near and may gain that status in
time as it grows on me with each spin.

"Birth of Eternity" opens with a solemn tone before quickly launching into
a blackened frenzied. It is clear right away that Sear Bliss has lost none
of its edge, though the production does seem a bit fuller this time
around. "Reverie" is a unique, short bit of atmosphere laden with
celestial keys and vocoder, while "Night Journey" is just plain
fierce. The title track exudes pagan beauty while "Two Worlds Collide" has
a harder, almost thrash side that reminds me a bit of Immortal at their
best. This song is just plain driven from start to finish, features some
of that menacing trumpet to aid the heavy-as-hell guitars, and is perhaps
the finest moment on the album. Speed seems to have taken the place of the
doomier elements that existed on earlier Sear Bliss albums, but it works
and songs like "Dreams Spectre" demonstrate the band can intertwine the two
just as well. "Blood Serenade" is probably the most unusual (and longest)
track, as it mixes some folky melodies and rhythms with the black metal to
excellent effect.

After the good but raw sound on Forsaken Symphony, it was cool to hear Sear
Bliss take a more produced approach here. The cover and booklet art is
epic as always, matching the ominous grandeur of the music nicely. If you
haven't experience this Hungarian whirlwind of metallic genius yet, this is
a great album to start with and there is no time like the present - you
will not be disappointed. http://www.searbliss.hu
[Daniel Hinds]
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http://the-plague.net [metal webzine]
http://outburn.com [alternative magazine]
2004-11-10 : Patrick : Link
Sear Bliss
Glory And Perdition
(Red Stream)

Sear Bliss, the pre-eminent Hungarian pagan black metal band, returns with their sixth album release in their ten year history and fifth full length recording. Once again the album was produced by former guitarist Viktor Scheer. Many aspects of this album remain the same from previous efforts, though some things have changed. This is the first cover not painted by Kris Verwimp, though his bird motif is maintained in all the fallen angels. After several attempts, scheduling conflicts being resolved, we finally are blessed with the long awaited Attila Csihar collaboration. He has guested on vocals so often in the recent past for so many bands the novelty has perhaps lost its sheen, but his performance for his countrymates and longtime friends shows him in top form. Usually when I get an album to review the first thing I do is pull out their previous works if I have them to refresh my memory. With Sear Bliss I don’t have to - I never put the old ones away. They still reside in my CD changer and get frequent play. That means Glory And Perdition has to be something special to top previous works. The first album I heard was The Haunting (also produced by Scheer), next was Phantoms, and the rest as they were released, so in my head I have a continuous progression towards more intensity though the reality is The Haunting was the divergence. What they have evolved into over the last three albums is, while not unique, certainly a signature sound, and not just because of the brass section. The aggressive raging black metal started in Sear Bliss’s early days is amplified in Glory and Perdition, partly because the brass section is now fully integrated, not just part of calmer orchestrated sequences, and partly because the songs are shorter and more intense. The epic grandeur is still theirs to dispense, and now we have several four and a half minute epics to go with their eight minute epics of the past. Songs like “Death in Torment,” “The Vanishing,” “Hell Within,” and “With Mournful Eyes” are their benchmarks; haunting and intense music that is instantly recognizable. This new album has many songs to rival those classics, even though 7-8 minute songs are a thing of the past. The keyboards are toned down even more this time round, but still play an important role. The drumming is more raging, more intense and slightly louder in the mix and Nagy’s vocal delivery is the same as always (who needs Attila), which is a great thing. I’ll offer two excerpts lyrically, “Even if I die now my shadow will haunt you forever” and “I’m lost in the labyrinth of immortality, in the hollowness of despair.” Along with a consistent vocal style, there is a consistent sound quality from album to album, on the raw side of the scale. Glory and Perdition is not as raw as previous works but is not polished in the symphonic black style. Dark, cruel and powerful would describe the achieved sound. Ten tracks, with seven songs and three interludes only 38-minutes, makes Glory and Perdition the shortest of their albums. “Birth of Eternity” has subtle keys that sound like bird calls and prominent horns, even competing successfully with the blastbeats. Zoltan delivers much variety in the drumming and Attila’s backing vocals are in the background. This song is followed by a very mellow interlude and then straightaway with blastbeats to open “Night Journey” where the brass section gets the leads. Blastbeats until the very mellow guitar solo ends it. “Glory to Perdition” starts off mid tempo, drums take the lead, dynamic, then blastbeats take over for a while then slow and heavy with warbling guitar melodies that do not overpower. Ominous horns overwhelm the drumming. This is an epic song even though it is only four and a half minutes. “Two Worlds Collide” is memorable instantly with its very dynamic horns that return at regular intervals and its '80s black/thrash feel. “Shores of Death” has a keyboard melody that wisps throughout and Attila’s vocals stand out strongly, his recondite yet gruesome moment. “Dreams Spectre” is full speed intensity with guitars and horns working especially well together. The final song, at over seven minutes, “Blood Serenade,” would fit in on any of their albums with its slow and somber pace, subtle drumming, quiet guitar and, of course, horns that come in strong midway through followed by blastbeats. Intensity builds throughout the song. A classic in the making. The cover art is by Hungarian artist József Tari and is far and away the best Sear Bliss cover yet. Great image, excellent detail. Get him under contract for the next album. Few bands with ten year histories can claim each album to be superior to the last, Sear Bliss can.
[Grimulfr]
2004-10-12 : Patrick : Link
This is some very grim, majestic, and atmospheric black metal! Sear Bliss' fifth opus, "Glory and Perdition", are seemingly at their utmost musically and lyrically to date. This Hungarian quintet have managed to bind together elements of Mayhem, Ancient, and Summoning with a sound that is of their own craftiness. The vocals remind me a lot of older Mayhem with a sorta old-Tiamat mold. Musically, I have to say the uniqueness is definitely there with tremendous guitar and drum work. The keyboards stand out as the most unique, however. You'll find that Sear Bliss will stand out due to their very ghastly and majestic use of the trumpet effect, alongside the usual black metal keyboards - which are very ethereal. A more "raw" feel is evident on tracks like "Glory to Perdition" and "Two Worlds Collide", while a more atmospheric feel can be found on tracks like "Blood Serenade" and "Night Journey". All of the songs have both, but these are mere contrasts of Sear Bliss' musical repertoire. This album isn't flawless, but I am very impressed with this dark/black metal approach! This is a bit different and if you're open to any "uniqueness", you may find yourself quite amazed with Sear Bliss.....

Rating: 86

Reviewed By: Thomas Mitchell
2004-10-09 : Patrick : Link
7.5/10 Joshua


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SEAR BLISS - Glory and Perdition - CD - Red Stream Records - 2004
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review by: Joshua

How can you not love a black metal band that has only one member that applies the ol’ corpse paint, a lone, sad clown in this otherwise pasty faced Magyar ensemble? Furthermore, how could you not respect the sheer perversity of a black metal band that distinguishes itself from the rest of the hordes not with excess brutality, unrelenting grimness or keyboard passages lifted straight from a Bach fugue, but with a trombone player as a full fledged member of the roster? That’s right, trombone.

Simple, you can’t. Welcome to Sear Bliss’ little corner of the black metal world.

Glory and Perdition is the latest entry in the band’s catalogue, much in the same vein of its predecessors. Owing as much to Dimmu Borgir as the spirit (if not sound) of Darkthrone, Sear Bliss blaze through another 10 tracks of galloping, blackened goodness. Keyboards are ever present, utilized as backdrop rather than focal point, adding a sheen that prevents the songs from straying too far into the cold and austere regions of kultdom. The album’s rapid tempos grate perfectly to the more deliberate pacing of vocalist/bassist Andras Nagy; his is a larynx perfectly suited for this sort of business, delivering deep, strangled exhortations coming from on high, a half-mad prophet on a lone mountain top appealing to the emptiness surrounding. And in the case of "Blood Serenade," which shifts the speed down considerably, his orations somberly evoke the simultaneous destruction and creation of the universe.

Really though, it’s all about the trombone. On paper this doesn’t work at all. The concept itself is near ridiculous. But in practice the results are unbelievably effective and an essential component of the Sear Bliss sound. It’s not your marching band oom-pah blurt, no. Rather, it’s a wash of long, drawn out and sustained notes; drones that weave in and out of the guitar and keyboard interplay. Depending on what aspect of the song is supported, these notes add color and texture, imbuing their respective parts with somberness, longing, menace and militaristic might. After a full run through of Glory and Perdition you’ll not only be converted to the trombone/black metal cause but left wondering why more bands haven’t hopped onboard the bandwagon. (7.5/10)



All related articles (interviews, live, from the vault)
Forgotten Symphony (issue No 11)
2004-09-04 : Patrick : Link
Honored Hungarian band SEAR BLISS released their new album, and its main worth is quality.

Presence of wind instrument in their music pays attention right from the first song. It's trumpet. It can be heard, but availability of trumpet is not so ornate as on the last album by ROSSOMAHAAR. It entwine with music naturally and replace keyboard parties.

SEAR BLISS plays middle pace and heavy black-metal. Quality of producing is on the highest level. Guys have good melodies too. Sometimes clean-scream vocal is entering, but melody on 'Birth Of Eternity' reminds of one of the song by MOONSPELL. Guest parties of vocal are perfomed by Atilla (ABORYM, MAYHEM).

I recommend 'Glory and Perdition' to buy to fans of dark and melodic black-metal. You will not be disappointed.

8/10
2004-09-01 : Redstream@aol.com : Link
Roel: I must say I had my doubts before listening to this new album from Sear Bliss. I already knew that they use a lot of trumpets and stuff, so I always thought they were a bit cheesy, but after listening to 'Glory And Perdition' I had to adjust my prejudice.

They do use trumpets, but not too much (not much at all actually) and they for sure don't sound cheesy. It starts with a short keyboard intro and then all hell breaks loose! Hyper aggressive symphonic black metal with a distinct own sound is what they play, and they play it well. Fast parts are interspersed by slower, atmospheric sounds and they work well together. The vocals (partly done by Atilla Csihar) reminds me a lot of Aphazel (of Ancient fame) and are quite good but could have been more diverse. Sure, they use a lot of keyboards but it never takes over completely, and the songs are strongly rooted in guitars, keeping the aggression intact while keys add atmosphere. The production is clear and gives a fresh sound to it, although the sound is still quite organic and natural. I am sure that fans of symphonic black metal who also enjoy the more grim Norse bands will like this.

Tracklist:

1 Birch Of Eternity
2 Reverie
3 Night Journey
4 Glory To Perdition
5 Two Worlds Collide
6 Ode To A Dying Star
7 Shores Of Death
8 Dreams Spectre
9 Blood Serenade
10 Lacus Somniorum

Rating: 82/100 (details)
2004-08-30 : Patrick
Sear Bliss (Hun)-Glory and perdition CD (Red Stream 2004) 38.24

Tell your friends that a trombone is a black metal instrument and they will laugh at you for sure. To be honest I would have done the same until I heard Sear Bliss’ "Glory and perdition" album on Red Stream Records. On this new album the bands plays excellent Satyricon-like black metal with excellent riffs and song structures and the mix between midtempo stuff and blast beats give the album enough variation. Above that the sporadic use of the trombone gives "Glory and perdition" that extra touch which the overfloading black metal scene really needs; finally something we haven’t heard a thousand times before. I played the album about 30 times this week and number 31 is on its way. One of the best albums I’ve heard for a long time à 9,3


Ben van der Weg
Klokradio
2004-08-30 : Patrick : Link
Hungary’s Sear Bliss are an interesting proposition. If - like me - you are a sucker for symphonics and epic sounds, then - like me - you are likely to jump at the chance to hear a symphonic black metal band with a genuine brass section. When you hear how well it works, it is then probable that – like me – you’ll end up giggling in glee like a little girl. A little girl in a candy store, no less.

Well, not quite, but I do really rather like it. Because, surprisingly, the genuine trombone used in most of the tracks on Glory And Perdition fits exceedingly well, making for dramatic, bombastic music. Well placed keyboards and recitation accentuate this, while never taking precedence over the sound’s metallic nature. The tranquil, relaxed symphonic sections all segue into blasting, raw and theatrical black metal, enhancing their effect. Sometimes melodic guitars, nevertheless often leave the melody to the keys, instead focussing on harsh rhythm work. Growls are a more guttural than the average black metal rasp, while whispers, electronically altered mumblings and the spewed vocals of Attila Csihar (featured on two tracks) add variety. Synths are entirely fitting in the sound, working well with the brass to create a strongly-symphonic sound, while occasional solo guitar lines add variation. The drums are well performed - not completely reliant on blasts, double bass rolls and fills both punctuate the tracks. The bass is not so prominent.

Glory And Perdition is a good album. Admittedly the music itself isn’t hugely original, yet it is well written, skilfully performed, and memorable. The production is excellent - for a black metal release - blending the strong brass and metal music with ease. Hence Sear Bliss is well worth hearing, even for those with only a passing interest in symphonic black metal.

8/10
2004-08-24 : Patrick : Link
Sear Bliss – Glory And Perdition (Red Stream) review by Pete.
“And I heard and behold an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, Woe, Woe, Woe to the inhibiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the Trumpets of the three angels which are yet to sound." - (Revelation 8:13). The Apocalypse is set to consume with blood fire and death according to the scriptures and it will be borne on the wings of angels playing the trumpets of woe. Hungarians Sear Bliss embrace this ruination and one look at the amazing cover art of new album Glory And Perdition perfectly illustrates the imminent demise of mankind.
There are more reasons for me parping on about trumpets other than the thematic as far as
Sear Bliss are concerned. Their blackened warrior styled music is heightened by the use of them and not only is this highly original but it also drives their song craft along and adds a beautiful dynamic flow to the proceedings.
I only discovered this band on last album Forsaken Symphony and found myself totally consumed by the mystical and at times, magical qualities of the sprawling opus. The one thing that has stopped me replaying this as much as I would have liked was the epic hour plus running time. Glory And Perdition sees them returning with a much more compact album that hits the 40 minute mark and during the course of it constantly knocks the listener for six.
The opening astral synthesised pulse of Birth Of Eternity sends a shiver down the spine but you have no time to acclimatise before the bombast of the track hones in at you. Drums blast away and the trumpet sweeps in majestically like a carrion crow gliding over a battlefield looking for rich pickings. Singer Andras gurgles away with wretched rasps and is joined on this opening track by Hungary’s finest son of blackness Attila Csihar. The punctuation of eerie mournful tones and bleak keyboard structures complete the picture and offer an overwhelming first song. As things unfold it is evident that the whole album is littered with such grandiose peeks of barbarity. Night Journey romps away with the drumming fired out like an out of control horse bolting headlong into the blackness. A weaving guitar riff is turned low in the mix but ever persuasively rattles along on a collision course before the track ebbs out with a peaceful somnambulism. Full of rage, the title track takes no prisoners. This is the sound of a battle in full flow with the trumpets honing back in with a jubilant air making it quite clear that victory is at hand. Ode To A Dying Star is a chilly, “far out on the edge of the universe” minimalist keyboard passage of ambiance, which illustrate the subject matter to perfection. Shores Of Death is again bolstered by Attila’s gravid elocution and flails away at a devilish velocity. Blood Serenade slows down and coagulates into an ostentatious and uplifting flow before everything comes crashing back in and races headlong toward a destructive finale.
Sear Bliss are one of those few bands that I find myself reviewing without making reference points to others. It makes a change to find something quite as unique as this but considering they are on Red Stream, a label that believes in quality and not quantity, this is hardly surprising. I would however say that if you are a fan of the likes of Enslaved and Borknagar you will not be disappointed with Glory And Perdition in the slightest. www.searbliss.hu
reviewd by Pete
2004-08-18 : Patrick : Link
So what majestic sounds does this Hungarian Black metal unit give us this time out. You all know I love this band because they use horns aka trombone. With the 1st taste of this release its reminds me of more Nordic style Symphonic BM. Closer to Dimmu, Old Mans Child & Immortal. Are Sear Bliss losing the originality factor they once held so strong to my heart. No wait we just had to wait for the 2nd track to incorporate the Folk and electronic elements of the band I remember. I can see why redstream releases so much by this lesser known act, as the always impress and I really think this maybe the title that breaks them into a larger visibility. The recording is top notch its also has some of the best artwork I've ever seen on a redstream release. You just don't know till you hear the synths and horns how creatively they can be used in black metal. I would very much tell you to seek out this latest chapter of one of Europe's unsung metal artist. Now all we need is some of this amazing Redstream artist from overseas to get to the US and tour Sear Bliss, Bethlehem, Bloodthorn etc etc etc.
2004-08-16 : Patrick : Link
Sear Bliss – Glory And Perdition (2004)
Red Stream

This time we shall turn our eyes towards Hungary, the homeland for the black metal band SEAR BLISS. The band was formed as early as 1993 and they have five albums behind them already. "Glory And Perdition" is their newest work where we once again can take part of their epic black metal.

Melodic black metal does always bring forth different feelings amongst the black metal fans, some hate it, other love it. SEAR BLISS lies somewhere in the middle. Imagine early DIMMU BORGIR, add a more epic atmosphere and cut off the most melodic parts and replace them with a slight rawer sound, then you basically have the music SEAR BLISS plays. One addition: the music they play really great. This is melodic black metal of very high quality and they get originality to their sound through the use of trombone, which also to a great extent lies behind the epic atmosphere in the music. The tempo in the music is quite high and though there are a lot of slower parts around midtempo, the parts above midtempo are dominating. With all its tempo changes, good guitar riffs and a really good use of the keyboard it's a real pleasure to listen to the songs and as I already mentioned, the trombone gives a big extra point to the music. A well-known persona does also appear on the album in two of the songs, the opening track "Birth Of Eternity" and the seventh song "Shores Of Death", where non other than Attila (ABORYM, ex MAYHEM) helps Andras Nagy with the vocals. The albums highlights are the aggressive "Two Worlds Collide" and the relatively slow, but very moody "Blood Serenade".

SEAR BLISS is a band that deserves much more attention than they have gain, since this is really good. "Glory And Perdition" is a great album and an excellent example of how melodic black metal shall sound. Highly recommended, almost skyhigh.

Track List

1. Birth Of Eternity
2. Reverie
3. Night Journey
4. Glory To Perdition
5. Two Worlds Collide
6. Ode To A Dying Star
7. Shores Of Death
8. Dreams Spectre
9. Blood Serenade
10. Lacus Somniorum

Total Playing Time 38:24

http://www.searbliss.hu
http://www.redstream.org
2004-08-16 : Fraiser C.
Holy shit! Do these Hungarians know how to create mammoth sounding black metal or what? Sear Bliss has always had a knack of mixing elements not typically found in black metal with their music to create something new and different, but with "Glory And Perdition" they have gone and outdone themselves. After hearing "Grand Destiny", I thought it would be impossible for them to create anything better than that, but man was I proven wrong!

I've got to say something first here. Well not "say" something, but more like ponder about something. As anyone familiar with the band knows, on Sear Bliss's earlier albums they incorporated a few brass intruments into the mix with outstanding results. You know... trumpet and trombone and the like. "Glory And Perdition" has only the trombone listed as the sole brass instrument appearing on the album. I have a good ear when it comes to music and deciphering instruments, and it sounds to me like there's still more on here than just the trombone, but I could be completely wrong. Either way, it doesn't matter at all because the brass parts seem more dominant than ever, and they give the music an almost battle cadence quality. The metal aspect of Sear Bliss is firmly rooted in raw and speedy black metal. The music sways effortlessy from an almost blast beat pace to a slower and more grandiose tempo. At all times, even at their fastest, never do Sear Bliss sound sloppy or like they are unseasoned musicians. Each and every member seems very proficient in what they do, and they don't seem afraid to experiment a bit. By experimenting on this album, they seem to have injected a few Sci Fi aspects to their sound. You'll find a few odd spacey synth parts and some really cool alien-like vocal effects. All of this comes together to make a sound that I guarentee you you have never heard from any other band.

The lyrics are written in and sung in English and seem to deal with despair and loneliness a lot. They really give the music a desolate backdrop to be played against and they are written very well. While reading them I had a feeling like I was the last human left on Earth, and since the lyrics are written well enough to make you get a mental picture of what you are reading, it did creep me out more than a few times reading along as the music played. Andras Nagy (who also plays guitar and keyboard) does an excellent job writing lyrics and singing. His vocal style has always been firmly rooted in the rawer black metal vein, but "Glory And Perdition" sees him sounding more "grim" than ever before. Maybe it's to further along that sense of desolation the lyrics and music try to convey, I don't know. All I know is it works, and it works well. Hopefully we will see him use a similar style on the next album as well.

The production is top notch, and it seems a lot of attention was paid to keep the brass instruments at just the right level. That's admirable because while those brass instruments are great, having them too loud and drowning out the rest of the music would have been a waste, in my opinion. Everything else such as the keyboard and vocals come through clean and clear and there's no tinniness or muffling of any instruments at all.

The packaging and layout of the album is sweet, indeed! Really, my love for this packaging is almost as great as for the music itself. First off, this album cover kicks ass! I thought the artwork done for "Glory And Perdition" by Kris Verwimp was great, but it doesn't hold a candle to this artwork done by Jozsef Tari. I've never heard of this artist before, but I hope he does more metal albums in the future! I mean, just look at it! It depicts a battle scene that seems to combine fantasy, sci fi and medieval themes all done in deep and rich colors. Plus the image of those guys standing on the hill blowing those horns really fits in with the music found on this album since Sear Bliss uses "horns" also. The insise of the booklet contains all of the lyrics written in an easy to read font style and it also contains some of the neatest photos I've ever seen in a CD booklet. A lot of the photos are great looking nature scenes, but they are all really dark and they are really sharp and in focus. It's almost like looking at a live scene of nature or something. Maybe some of them are computer generated, I don't know. Either way, they are just a pleasure to look at. This booklet is exactly the reason why I don't ever want music to be sold on MP3 format only. You can download all the MP3's you want for free, but it just isn't the same experience as listening to your new album with the lyrics, artwork and photos in front of you. As a kickass finale to an already great layout, the back CD tray picture has a very cool photo of Andras (I believe) holding a bow and arrow in a golden sunset. He's staring off to his left where the tracklisting is, and it's a very cool thing to see. Very appropriate image for this reviewer, who happens to be an archer.

What can I say? An already great band has gotten even better with "Glory And Perdition". If you have never heard this band before, you need to remedy that as soon as you can! You won't be disappointed whether you are a fan of black metal or epic metal. Not only that, longtime fans of Sear Bliss will want to pick this up as well as soon as they can because as I said earlier, this is their crowning achievement up to this point in their career. I hope to see many more albums from these guys in the future, and other bands should take notice from "Glory And Perdition" as THIS is how a band should mature without losing their integrity.
2004-08-06 : Patrick
BEST SONGS : "Birth of eternity", "Night journey", "Two worlds collide", "Shores of death"

COMMENT : This SEAR BLISS's new album is a magnificent discovery. Little (and not enough known) in France, the Hungarian band, about the rather surprising longevity, looks like cult band and one of the precursors of the Hungarian black metal scene. It is with real pleasure that we discover their "Glory and perdition" the new album. Already the 6th album, SEAR BLISS is characterized by an atmospheric black metal, with grand keyboards parts, and the welcome contribution of a trombone which gets an epic atmosphere for the band. Result is particularly brilliant. With an excellent production, the varied music (sometimes fast or sometimes slower) never loses its power and its efficiency. Music is very well inspired and very well executed. Riffs are in perfect osmosis with the parts of keyboards without ever losing in intensity. The band remains original, SEAR BLISS is a band in a very personal style. One could compare the group with the Ukrainian of NOKTURNAL MORTUM, a resentful black metal, without damaged, dark and grand but determinedly epic. Attila Csihar (Mayhem, Aborym) makes a successful appearance quite as in his recent appearance with ANAAL NATHRAKH. The magnificent cover sticks perfectly on the prints and SEAR BLISS's music. It is very convincing and rather original to captivate attention. With such an album, the future of SEAR BLISS is more than promising. A sure value to be discovered by all black metal fans. ESSENTIAL.
- Fabian, Metal Invasion, France