Judas Iscariot was a one man black metal band from Dekalb, Illinois, that was formed in 1992 and stopped activity in 2002. The sole member, Akhenaten (Andrew Jay Harris) played all the instruments on the studio albums, the only time any other people played in the band was during their live shows. The album I chose to review today is the 2nd 1996 full-length album “Thy dying light”.
The bands last show took place at the “Under the black sun” festival in Germany in July 2000. This last show, the song “The Black Clouds Roll Under the Parapet of the Sky” was dedicated to “The destruction of the capitalist scum who tried to destroy black metal.” All of the band’s releases were given to the labels who originally released them, and Akhenaten took no money, as he owned his own recording equipment, instead asking that the money be put back into the underground. On August 25, 2002, Akhenaten announced that he ended Judas Iscariot. “Midnight Frost (To Rest with Eternity) was the band’s last official release.
This album was released via Moribund Records at 9980 Fairview Lake Road SW Port Orchard, Washington 98367, United States.
The tracklist for this album has 9 songs and a total running time of 51 minutes and 58 seconds.
Tracklist:
- But Eternals Beheld His Vast Forests… 7:59
- His Eternal Life, like a Dream Was Obliterated… 9:14
- Helpless It Lay, Like a Worm in His Frozen Track… 10:54
- Behold, Our Race of Unstoppable Genius… 3:52
- From His Woven Darkness Above… 4:24
- Writing upon the Wind of Mystic Philosophy and Dreams… 4:46
- They Saw His Pale Visage Emerge from the Darkness… 4:28
- Thy Dying Light and Desolate Darkness… 5:42
- Arise, My Lord of Infernal Wisdom… 0:36
Overall I’d give this album an 9/10, I love the long song titles and long song lengths. This album has a unique atmosphere compared to the other albums, Its not dark and haunting like the “Heaven in Flames” album, Its more destructive and cruel. This album and band is an absolute staple/landmark in U.S. black metal history.
