Deiphago: Filipino AntiChrist Vinyl LP + DVD Review

from scrawlshop #13 (2009)
by: Rx Zenabi

Deiphago
Filipino Antichrist
Hells Headbangers Records

XXXXXXXXX

The Ampatuan Massacre DVD
(available at select DVD stores in Quiapo, downtown Manila) – XXXX

Everybody knows the Philippines as one of the most beautiful… but also the one of the sickest and most depraved countries in the world. Not that I’m proud of it really. We are known for our notoriety and hospitality, our tourist spots, as well as abundance of violence, crime, drugs, poverty and one of the most corrupt and flawed governments on earth. It’s such a dichotomy, these contradicting elements of Pilipinas.

Look no further than the Ampatuan Family political clan of southern Philippines, specifically down there in Maguindanao. Not only are they connected to the president at that time, they also own that province, building an invincible political monopoly in that part of the country for years now. Recent electioneering in November 2009 became an Ampatuan killing spree when Andal Ampatuan Jr. the former mayor, then trying to run for governor decided to have some “fun” and allegedly with his homies machinegunned the wives, daughters, relatives and mediamen / journalists who were supporting his rival, Esmael Mangudadatu who was brave enough to put his neck on the line for daring to run for governor to end their monopoly.

They were all going to file a certificate of candidacy that fateful day and Ampatuan Jr. and his men decided to waste these unsuspecting folk. It was all over the news here and the whole world proving once again that the Filipino can (and will) do it.

As early 2010 hit, Ampatuan was arrested and of course he claimed he cannot speak tagalog and also received special treatment from his ally, the evil midget former president with a lot of delaying tactics such as suddenly getting ill, not understanding his own language,among others (as of press time he has not been successfully tried by the court even with a new president already elected).

Amateur video footage of the bodies being discovered in the hills of the province has leaked across the globe. But there exists a full length DVD of the coverage of the bodies being excavated (along with cars and other equipment dumped in the soil along with dead people) somewhere because lo fi videos appeared online. For some reason I know that our reliable friends downtown will have it for sale.

So, one day while buying some DVD bootlegs in Quiapo (the bootlegs here are high quality Chinese made boots that look and usually last as good as the originals), I decided to ask around for this infamous DVD from some of the reliable Muslim brothers I buy stuff from. The woman on my right gasped and looked at me with equal parts shock and disbelief as the dude handed me a copy. It’s a cheap DVDr for 50.00 with 4 full length videos of what used to be innocent people who were um, allegedly mass murdered by Ampatuan and his henchmen deep in the hills of southern Pilipinas.

Around this time, Deiphago has also just released their new magnum opus, Filipino Antichrist on Hells Headbangers Records in Ohio. I have been eagerly awaiting this ever since the debut crushed years ago. I met up with vocalist/bassist Voltaire in Recto (a stone’s throw away from good old Quiapo) the same day I picked this up to get the vinyl, digipak and shirt personally from him. He was in town to do personal and business affairs and squeezed time to sell direct to his listeners and local record hound fiends, who all snatched up every Deiphago merch available.

Vinyl is the best way to desecrate, and with the DVD at the same time playing on mute (but not before bonghit after bonghit after bonghit of some DESTRO C bud). The panic and hysteria inducing hidden notes in the intro announce the arrival. this is NOT going to be goodtimes, but violence and total anarchic hate…

Filipino Antichrist is what true chaos incarnate is. with each song an unrelenting attakkk (except the instrumental hymns) there’s no other way to describe it. It’s totally offensive, filthy and true annihilating black metal that shits on bullshit crap like melody and finesse (haha). This is more savage than the already classic debut, their next step up to the throne of everlasting fire. Their vision is also perfectly realized on the gatefold and the tri fold digi with the symbols and evil Filipino elements in well placed occult corners of the record.

As Deiphago tore it up and destroyed in the background, the videos slowly reveal some of the most disturbing footage of mutilated, hacked, broken murdered people being excavated from the soil. You could clearly see corpses in the early stages of deterioration, and sometimes you’d even see a leg or part of someone’s head, a limb, an arm or whatever falling from the body, getting pressed on, accidentally splitting in half, etc. as the construction excavator digs them up like they were stones and debris from the soil.

Of special interest is how the camera sometimes zooms in to reveal a detail of what used to be a face, a body or some “guess what?!” part and then come back and show the whole panoramic grisly view. I know I shouldn’t be looking at this and watching it with total black metal destruction playing in the background, but somehow I have found true emptiness from the Philippines’ (and the World’s) most evil band and from one of the most gruesome crime videos from the south of the Philippines. Gnarly.

By the time Deiphago launches their cover of Sarcofago’s “Hate” replete with Voltaire shouting “Mga Putangina Nyo!” followed by a barrage of machine gun violence on unsuspecting people shouting, the mutilated pile of rotting corpses and body parts smudged by fresh mud, soil and dirt are now displayed for the cops and mediamen to stare at, disgust at, and puke at. You could almost smell the stench from the screen to your home or room and realize these used to be innocent people who have nothing to do with the Ampatuan clan.

And with the very shitty and totally archaic and totally biased and totally retarded justice system that we have here, I doubt we will see justice for them in the near future just like many other crimes here. Add to that  the incompetent cops easily bought by drug and blood money. It is going to be slower than a My Dying Bride album on opiates and painkillers. Isn’t the Philippines great?

This is why Deiphago rule and after running wild and destroying the Philippines in the early years, they started thinking globally, went to Costa Rica to record their debut and start their world domination. You could just picture them standing on the cemeteries of their city laughing demonically at Filipinos while destroying them all. As of press time, Deiphago have completed their Europe run / tour / party / pillaging with Black Witchery and the NWN appearance as well. There’s talk of the third album this year and two kvlt releases on vinyl. The wicked truly never rest…

Deiphago’s new album rules, again. The DVD gets 9 stars for collectability and 4 stars for endurance viewing.

Only here would you find a DVD of a mass murder corpse excavation released by some Muslim dudes trying to make money of this tragedy, done by a ruthless political clan with ties to the government, being sold downtown, next to family fastfood joints Jollibee and Chowking, right beside the newest hollywood and filipino hit flicks and gift items for kids and teens, and for only 50 pesos.