Hocus pocus (magic) derived from the Protoslavic word "kusiti", which is itself derived from Gothic "kausajn" meaning "to try", "to attempt". This may indicate that the wording belongs to the alchemy kitchen and court of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1552 – 1612). Also, "hocus" may mean "to cheat" in Latin or a distorted form of the word "hoc", "this". Combination of the two words may give a sense, especially both meanings together "this attempt/experiment" and "cheated attempt/experiment". According to the Oxford English Dictionary the term originates from "hax pax max Deus adimax", a pseudo-Latin phrase used as a magical formula by conjurors.
Conjuring the Dead its release, "Conjuring the Dead" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Dave Schalek of About.com said "[...] a densely heavy album with a bludgeoning production courtesy of Erik Rutan, and chock full of excellent songwriting and musicianship. Although fast with plenty of blastbeats, Conjuring The Dead is at its best when Belphegor slow things down to a mid-paced tempo with catchy riffs and deliver an epic sweep to the music." Sammy O'hagar of MetalSucks noted that "Everything is in perfect balance, which is both exhilarating and dangerous. Conjuring the Dead is the ideal snapshot of blackened death metal.