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This band is pretty hardcore, as being an anti-christian band in Norway might be a bit outré, but being an anti-religious band in fucking Lebanon is, I think, something you could actually get arrested for over there, if some zealot didn't just decide to kill you for it. Ayat go out of their way to be blasphemous, and have been for years now (hence the title), but that doesn't automatically make their music good. Fortunately, their music is pretty damned good.

Crunching, aggressive Black Metal is what you get here, with a fierce guitar sound and pummeling drums. This is obviously very second-wave, but there is a good Celtic Frost kick in the riffs and vocals that makes this sound even more primal. Some of the songs go on too long, and are maybe a little repetitive, but the songs overall are solid and entertaining. The vocals switch from a deep growl to a shriek with some pig squealing and even some clean-ish vocals mixed in for good measure. This disc has an arcane and vile atmosphere that really sells it, and repeated listens just made me enjoy this more. A definite winner from an unexpected quarter.