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Released on October 27, 2014 via Peaceville Records
Mysticum‘s ’96 debut, In the Streams of the Inferno, caused a bit of a stir in the underground at the time. Not only was it slated to be released by Euronymous’s Deathlike Silence, but their use of programmed beats and electronics piqued the interest of many. While it had its detractors, many were drawn to the mechanized, black metal hybrid the band had concocted. The dehumanizing qualities generated therein alluded to a cold, dystopian existence; a world engulfed by and subservient to the technologies it so eagerly embraced. Mysticum acknowledged this paradigm and nurtured its power. They were the abysses staring back at those that sought its dark rewards, the ghost in the machine.
For almost 20 years, the follow up, Planet Satan was rumored to exist, but nothing came of it until now. Its arrival has a lot to answer for. ‘LSD’ sets the tone with bleak, unsettling chimes that penetrate a miasma of drones before Planet Satan begins in earnest. ‘LSD’, like Planet Satan as a whole is classic old school, Norwegian BM riffing with programmed beats and a plethora of electronic drones, blips and bleeps that serve as a soundtrack to the metallic maelstrom. One might argue that not much has really changed since their debut. Sure, the album has a more powerful production and the vocals are now gruffer as opposed to the shrieks of the debut. But, in general, Mysticum are not reinventing the black metal wheel or even rocking the proverbial boat, which they arguably did back in ’96, and that is okay.
The songs have a more direct, pissed off, true punk vibe, replete with dare I say catchy, and at times almost sing-a-long choruses, well at least in the context of black metal. The sometimes unconventional programmed beats juxtaposed against the straight-ahead breakdowns add a rocking feel to many tracks. The songwriting is concise with little filler. What it does lack, for me, is the epic grandiose feel of the debut, but perhaps that is due in part to hearing it years ago, the right time/right place type thing, when nothing like it had come before. Regardless, Planet Satan is a solid return with their trademark sound in tact and a welcome return. One can only imagine the impact it may have had, had it come out when first rumored.
