The state of Texas is famous for a few things like PANTERA and Billy Bob's. If you don't know Billy Bob's look it up, it's the bar to end all bars. Texas is also famous, albeit abjectly, for birthing some of the most awesome righteous Mythical Occult Black Metal ever. Yes, ever.

With the very noted exception of the mighty and untouchable ABSU, I personally had no idea that other bands, of any discipline, had a decided predilection to writing about all things, well, mythical and occult. How wrong I was! Enter DAGON, lurching forth with a violent, angry sound from the depths of a Texan lake, tendrils dripping with water mixed with blood and entrails of those unlucky enough to have crossed their collective paths. Blending together a rough approximation of Black Metal sensibility with an almost Death Metal exactness, DAGON are coming to make you one of them.

From the first notes of opener "Sukhavati Inverted-Ensnaring Paths To Bliss And Misery", which starts off ominously, the listener immediately gets the sense that he or she is about to drown and be sucked down ever deeper into a vortex from which there is no escape, where The Old Ones are reigning supreme within their murky kingdoms of depravity. That's right, folks, if you haven't gotten it by now, DAGON play Metal forged in the lore of the mighty Lovecraft, so bring your water wings.

Of the information available, and it is scant, DAGON have been pushing their agenda for a few years now, but as is the case with an oversaturated market (it's everywhere, not just in Metal) a person simply cannot listen to everything out there, worthy of a spin or not. DAGON is something that fans of Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal, Death Metal and Avant Garde would do well to check out. The music is at once accessible yet immeasurably dense and captivating in a way not often witnessed these days. Also, the selling point of being inspired by Lovecraft is a very unique and endearing point of note, because while some would be complacent to simply prattle on in some ancient and dead language or conjure images of upside down crosses, DAGON would much rather stuff an octopus down your throat and take a picture. This album makes the stuffed Chtulu that watches my living room very happy. And if Chtulu is happy, everyone is happy, because that means He shall not be devouring you...today, at least.