Bondage, sadomasochism, and fetishism have never been prominent topics in either death metal or black metal. Rockers who want to hear about whips, chains, ballgags, CBT, leather masks, nipple clamps, or the St. Andrew's Cross are more likely to find that subject matter in alternative rock and industrial rock; artists like KMFDM, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and, of course, the Genitorturers have been quite popular in BDSM circles. But on the whole, death metal and black metal haven't been very BDSM-minded -- although they are certainly great for hearing about the Occult, horror themes, paganism or Viking mythology. Austria's Belphegor, however, is a rare example of a black metal/death metal band that has incorporated BDSM themes. In fact, some of the lyrics on Bondage Goat Zombie are influenced by the original sadomasochist himself: Le Marquis de Sade, although it's important to note that Belphegor approaches BDSM in a very different way from the industrial and alternative rockers who have explored that subject. With "Mistress " Gen and the Genitorturers, you are getting a band that is obviously into the BDSM subculture in a major way; on Bondage Goat Zombie, you are getting an over-the-top, cartoon-ish mixture of BDSM, Satanism, horror movies, and the Occult (not necessarily in that order). And quite frankly, most serious BDSM players aren't going to consider this album a serious BDSM album. For one thing, the extreme vocals -- some of them black metal rasp vocals, some of them death metal's stereotypical "Cookie Monster" growl -- render too many of the lyrics difficult to understand. Plus, the Satan/Occult/horror imagery is so strong that it tends to overshadow the Marquis De Sade/sadomasochist imagery. But even though a cat-o'-nine-tails-toting dominatrix would no doubt agree that Bondage Goat Zombie's BDSM appeal is limited, this 2008 release is fairly successful from a standard black metal/death metal perspective. Lightning-fast tempos are the rule on this 40-minute CD, and bonecrushing tunes like "Justine: Soaked in Blood," "Armageddon's Raid," "Stigma Diabolicum," and "Chronicles of Crime" thrive on high-speed brutality. The track that BDSM clubs would probably be the most likely to play is "Sex Dictator Lucifer," which finds Belphegor slowing down the tempo and getting into a more industrialized, somewhat White Zombie-ish type of groove while audibly and emphatically stating the words "bondage" and "domination" more than once. "Sex Dictator Lucifer," and another slowed-down track, "Der Rutenmarsch," add a little variety to Bondage Goat Zombie, although this album could have been stronger with even more variety (not to mention more melody and more understandable vocals). Nonetheless, Bondage Goat Zombie is a darkly entertaining disc that generally works well if one is in the mood for a lot of vicious sensory assault. ~ Alex Henderson