Ending Quest - Vlad Tepes [DEMO] (2011)

Ending Quest originated as a group of friends fucking around with the HM-2 guitar tone and attempting some impressions of their favorite cult Swedish death metal acts. This inevitably led to some creativity, and the band started composing originals. Last year, they released a demo titled Led to the Slaughter, which was decent, and now they've followed it up with Vlad Tepes, a more substantial experience (10 minutes longer), but ultimately about not a far cry from the quality of its predecessor. Predictable but efficient d-beat beats are used to back vicious riffs born of the early 90s, and no one could argue that they do a passable job of summoning up nostalgia for their obvious inspirations: Entombed, Dismember, Grave, and perhaps a little Gorement (from whom they derived the band name).

"End This Mortal World" opens with dire melodies ala Left Hand Path, but the transitional stops and starts didn't do a hell of a lot for me, even if the riffs were fully functional. "Vlad Tepes" uses a charge-like motif before it swerves towards a vampire-like, stalking pace, but this is also not a favorite of mine on the demo. "Butcherknife Encounter" turns up the frenzy, but I didn't exactly love the riffs. I found the last two originals "Coffin Worm" and "Dark Immersion" to be the best of the originals; the former with some simple but effective, crawling and crushing rhythms; the latter a more grinding beast with a dash of old Repulsion and Napalm Death in the verses and a nice, gloomy melodic breakdown bridge. On the prior demo, the band offered a rendition of "Wolverine Blues", which seems an obvious choice considering their style. Here, they tackle "Scream Bloody Gore" (Death) and "Born for Burning" (Bathory), both of which are morphed into their own image and not played too close to the hilt.

In the end, I actually wasn't as content with the material here as the first demo ("Led to the Slaughter" and "A Fiery Fate" come to mind); but it's close; and certainly these youngsters remain competent, authentic and enthusiastic about the style. The real issue, as it is with so many of these sorts of bands, is whether they can make a strong enough impression in the existing envelope of the genre that the audience listens beyond the mere familiarity and once again experiences ye old rapture of classic Swedish death. Whereas veteran derivatives like Repugnant, Bastard Priest, Tormented and Tribulation excel at nearly matching stride with their influences, Ending Quest just sort of make due, well versed, with decent lyrics, but not incredibly catchy songs.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/endingquest

Wizard - ...Of Wariwulfs And Bluotvarwes (2011)

It's pretty rare that a power metal band in today's climate can tackle the supernatural antiquity of werewolves, witches, and blood sucking things of the night appropriately. Powerwolf seems to do a good job in this terrain, but perhaps its their excess use of organs and tongue in cheek lyrics that win out. Other stabs, like Iced Earth's Horror Show, were average at best, and now Germans Wizard have decided to deviate from their usual Norse Myth 101 ramblings to capture the subject, basing their lyrics on a historical horror trilogy of novels by the author André Wiesler called Die Chroniken des Hagen von Stein. This is a curious choice, as the books are only a few years old, and most fantasy metal bands focus on surefire classics, but hey, why the hell not? After all, werewolves, witches and such are quite the trend in all media these days.

...Of Wariwulfs And Bluotvarwes is certainly the most colorful title the band have chosen for an album to date, leaving behind such minimal, lacking fare as Odin, Thor and Battle of Metal. While I'm not inherently opposed to a power metal band veering towards darker subjects (Grave Digger is one obvious example, but there are others), I am not sure that the bright polish of Wizard's songwriting is always best affixed to the gloom of the source material. That said, this album rocks far more often than it doesn't, channeling the band's massive Manowar influence into a landscape of melodic European power anthems that are like to please fans of bands like Primal Fear, U.D.O., early Edguy and the aforementioned Grave Digger. Little to no nuance is involved here, and many of the riffs will seem derived and familiar to anyone that has followed the genre in the past 15-20 years. "Hagr" feels as if it were straight from the book of Judas Priest-isms sharpened by Primal Fear. The title track is essentially late 80s or 90s Manowar, both the opening guitar riffs and Sven D'Anna's vocal performance. Quite a few of the songs also have that grimy Kris Boltendahl pitch to them (like "Taste of Fear", "Blotvarwes" and parts of "Heart Eater").

It's not an impressively dark record by any means, but it's efficient, and I can't think of a single song that withdrew me from the headbanging hypnosis of the simple rhythms and attempts at memorable chorus parts in "Hagr", "Sign of the Cross" and even "Fair Maiden Mine", with its slightly lusher prog/power overtones. The production is pristine and glossy, they've had about 15 years or more to work through this, so it's as clear and professional as most you've heard of late in the higher tier of the Euro throng. D'Anna might lack the silky tones of an Andi Deris or the screaming range of a Henning Basse, but he works well enough with the pipes he was given, and the band never devolves into glorified self-indulgence. Granted, some might not take to the particular theme Wizard are exploring here, but its not at all a bad thing to hear them branch out beyond their Viking lore obsessions. ...Of Wariwulfs And Bluotvarwes isn't about to spin heads out of their sockets, but it's solid and entertaining for the craft, and unlikely to face charges of heresy.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.legion-of-doom.de/

Volcano - Mythology (2011)

It's been a good decade since Volcano has erupted on us with a new full-length, but they've kept busy in the interim with some live DVD releases and a pair of EPs. If you've never heard the band before, then you were missing out on another of Japan's untold secrets, a hybrid of power, speed and thrash metal which musters comparison to countrymen Anthem and Loudness, only with a far ballsier tone and huge, pissed off vocals that feature a strain of forced melody not unlike Flemming Rönsdorf (ex-Artillery). The band's first two albums Violent and Davi were evidence of an authentic riffing titan, and probably deserved a lot more recognition than they received. Mythology is cast in much the same mold, and though I didn't enjoy this quite so much as its predecessors, there's still a strong case to be made for the band.

One aspect I didn't enjoy here is the sparse use of melodeath vocals. A few of the tracks like "Dead Men Tell No Tales" certainly tread that territory musically, but I feel that Nov's vocal presence is so strong in of itself that such a tactic feels unnecessary. They are, however, an exception to the rule, and for most of the playtime he's cruising along with his standard style. The band does incorporate a fair amount of variation into their composition. Personally, I favor the rampant melodic power/thrash of "The Head", "Warrior's Play", "Goddess", "Strange the Strong" and especially the escalating "Shine in the Dark", which opens up with clean guitars and explodes into an amazing sequence of riffs not unlike something you'd hear from Concerto Moon. But they do deviate, as with the groove-oriented "Claim" and its series of generic, groove metal rhythms before the one decent guitar line at about :50. I also don't exactly love "Hell in the Paradise", but it has its moments.

Otherwise, Mythology is a modestly crushing good time with a thick low-end centric production and a lot of great, neo-classical guitar lead breaks with attitude that may very well thrill fans of Double Dealer, Sly, Saber Tiger, Sex Machineguns, Galneryus, and so forth. The material is more complex than their past albums, and this in part might be due to the new rhythm section of Akira and Shun (Youthquake) that joined the band in 2010. I felt that this was a more hectic experience than what I was expecting, but that didn't lead to an increased impression, and I don't feel like I'll get much distance out of this. It's fun for a few listens, with a handful of riffs to die for, but is unlikely to expand the trajectory of the band, especially after a decade of such scant output.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://4148.jp/profile_v.html

Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal (1991)

Much like their cover model had transformed from a frightened girl to some hunted street walker in pink, Dark Angel spent the two years between their Leave Scars and Time Does Not Heal in the throes of maturation. Whether or not this is welcome would really depend on who you asked, but seeing as the Californian brutes had already released the raw, forceful cult classic (Darkness Descends) and the sloppily produced, yet punishing viper's nest of unforgettable ideas (Leave Scars), it would have been destitute to merely repeat either experience. Time Does Not Heal goes the distance, expanding on the lyrical elements of its predecessor while sporting the most professional refinement of any album in their career.

I, for one, am thankful for the modifications. I won't claim that this record is ultimately superior to Leave Scars, but it's nice to finally be able to hear each of the band's talented instrumentalists in equal measure, from the muted fervor of Eric Meyer and (Jim Durkin's replacement) Brett Eriksen, to the intense control of Gene Hoglan, to the bass, thick and pluggy here but favorable to its presence on the prior outing. Another metamorphosis has transpired in the vocal region, as Ron Rinehart has decided to splay his meter out in a broader path of almost operatic chagrin. He still hacks and barks when necessary, but in general he gives more breath to the lines, creating an unnerving sense of melody above the rather blunt brutality of the guitars. Semi-technical, rich in hostility and not unlike Heathen's Victims of Deception with its mildly processed edge of modernity.

There are some incredibly well composed pieces here, beginning with the title track and its opening salvo of acoustic guitars that attract the frenzied swagger of the electrics in a clash that better resembles the Leave Scars material. "Pain's Invention, Madness" is hands down one of the best pieces in Dark Angel's career, a bombastic juggernaut of atmospheric chords that glide over the muted substrate, simple and catchy chorus riff, and an impressive, schizoid climax with repressed Rinehart screaming at around 7:00. Note that the general length of the tracks has not changed from the previous output, all of these are between 6-9 minutes in length and offer some substantial variation throughout. "Act of Contrition" is not a personal favorite, there are some wonderful guitars but here I felt Rob's voice stretched a little too awkwardly, but the savage "New Priesthood" and "Psychosexuality" more than compensate, and the entire closing third of Time Does Not Heal is magnificent, in particular the roiling slugfest of "Sensory Deprivation" and "A Subtle Induction", the latter making use of some thick, percussive bass elements in the odd intro.

This might not be the fastest of Dark Angel's offerings, as the band seems to hang closer to the mid pace and substitute weighty low end rhythms for a mesh of exhilaration and acceleration, but it's no less proficient and technical. Even though bands like Deathrow, Artillery, Coroner and Mekong Delta had released bewildering musical epics by 1991, this was still impressively structured composition for its day, far more ambitious than the lions share of miserable tough guy groove metal elements that were beginning to inoculate the West Coast thrash scene (well, those bands who hadn't turned to funk or grunge). Time Does Not Heal is yet another of those marginally late wonders to the Golden Age of the genre. It constantly feels as if it's hanging on the precipice, above a beckoning chasm of oblivion, along with the other natural successors to the heavily structured thrash of Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood, Terrible Certainty, Eternal Nightmare, Taking Over and so forth. It's an appreciable, intelligent and intricate swansong, although it wasn't aware of that at its time of conception; and the third Dark Angel disc in a row worth its weight in headbanging release.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (the only truth in life is pain)

Dark Angel - Decade of Chaos (1992)

Those of you who are familiar with the Relativity acquisition of the Combat Records roster will likely groan at the remembrance of 1992, in which the foster label decided to make a massive cash grab with a number of worthless compilation albums. You might recall Death's Fate (spoor), Forbidden's Point of No Return (dung) and Exodus' Lessions in Violence (excrement) as prominent examples, but the California menace Dark Angel was not exempt from this practice, and thus we are left besmirched and disgruntled by a Decade of Chaos, an album headed directly to the bargain bins, the recycling plants, and the collections of unsuspecting do gooders who thought they were doing the thrashers a favor, but would have been better off buying them a pack of smokes or a beer.

One wonders how a band like Dark Angel, great but hardly popular in the mainstream, really even warrants a 'best of' album. This is not fucking pop music, where soulless record industry czars constantly refurbish studio recordings to turn a buck or two and fill out or pad recording contracts with famous radio friendlies. But Decade of Chaos proves that the cash grab was on multiple levels, and that even our beloved thrash bands were fair game when the snake oil salesmen arriveth on our doorstep. The ten tracks here are all lifted from the band's Combat Records releases. "Darkness Descends", "Merciless Death", "The Burning of Sodom" and "Death is Certain (Life is Not)" are snatched from Darkness Descends (1986); "Never to Rise Again", "The Promise of Agony" and "Leave Scars" from Leave Scars (1989); and "Act of Contrition" and "Pain's Invention, Madness" borrowed from Time Does Not Heal (1991), to which the paint had not yet dried, coming out only a year prior...

This is rounded off with "We Have Arrived", not the studio version, but the live offering from the Live Scars EP (Combat didn't own the rights to the debut album, evidently), then packaged and printed with gaudy, awful cover tones of red background and light blue logo. What a fucking eyesore that is! As far as track selection, this really isn't all that bad, they're all good choices, but it doesn't change the fact that Decade of Chaos is completely, 100% void of merit. Landfill. Not suitable to set your beer upon. Even a cheap beer. Any amount of money spent on this ripoff is simply better exhausted elsewhere. A handshake and hug from a prostitute. A half dozen packs of gum. Fuck, instead of paying Relativity for this fodder, just write out a check to Jim Durkin, Ron Rinehart or any of the band members. Or send cash. I'm sure they'd appreciate it more than knowing you bought this travesty.

Verdict: Epic Fail [0/10]

Dark Angel - Live Scars EP (1990)

Though Dark Angel had already been around for some years and released what many consider their most important album (Darkness Descends), many of their fans were probably first exposed to their sound through the Ultimate Revenge 2 live compilation VHS/album, which they shared with up and comers Death and Forbidden, the lesser known Faith or Fear, and the NWOBHM legends Raven. Thus, this initial interaction was of the stage, to which the thrashers return for the Live Scars EP. The cassette of this release was a bit of a ripoff, with only 5 songs in check, whereas the CD had 8 in total, more of a full-length live album. This was not the only such live EP, as Combat also foisted Forbidden's Raw Evil upon us, but Live Scars is far more substantial in either format.

Well, if you'd seen Ultimate Revenge 2, then you already knew the band rocked as hard on stage as in the studio, and at the very least, Live Scars reflects that viral energy, that blazing fortitude that the Californians manifest through their incessant storms of speed. For such a short release, you get a fair mix of material from their first three full-lengths. We Have Arrived is represented only by the title track, but as it was the weakest of the lot, the decision is welcome. To be fair, though, with Ron Rinehart screaming and the band playing the track as fast as their limbs might carry it, it gets a nice face lift here. Otherwise, the selection is pretty spot on. They rip out "The Promise of Agony", "Leave Scars", "Never to Rise Again" and "The Death of Innocence" from their most recent album Leave Scars, and "The Burning of Sodom" and "Death is Certain (Life is Not)" from Darkness Descends. Lastly, they've included a cover of Fear's "I Don't Care About You" (from The Record in 1982). Structurally, this is a huge contrast to the originals, but its delivered with attitude and its fun enough.

Live Scars is hardly one of those mandatory acquisitions like Iron Maiden's Live After Death or Destruction's Live Without Sense, and I've never found myself desiring it over the studio albums at any point in time. The mix is decent, though somewhat repressed. You can hear most of the guitars, vocals, and drums; with some semblance of bass beneath. There's a decent amount of crowd reaction, which makes sense as the EP was recorded in Reseda CA, not far from the band's home base; but they're pretty soft in the recording, even when howling the backing vocals. If you're the sort that maintains a massive stiffy for all things Dark Angel, then you shouldn't be adverse to giving this a go (CD version only). But even then, it's not the sort of live recording to leave a lasting impression, and your money is best spent elsewhere.

Verdict: Indifference [6.25/10]

Dark Angel - Leave Scars (1989)

Though Darkness Descends was the audio incendiary equivalent of a wing of fighter jets attacking a hot dog stand (aka you, the listener), creating ripples throughout an underground starved for increasing extremity in metal music; the band experienced a period of unrest and a nearly 3-year gap before they could channel its followup. Bass player Rob Yahn and cult screamer Don Doty would exit the lineup, to be replaced respectively by Eric Gonzalez and tattooed man-beast Ron Rinehart, one of the last guys you'd probably want to meet in a dark alley or anywhere else you'd exchange interpersonal violence. Dark Angel had 'arrived' in its most enduring configuration, signed with Combat Records and given further exposure through their live performance on the Ultimate Revenge 2 compilation.

Rinehart is probably the most obvious difference between this album and Darkness Descends, with a more down to earth, shouted tone rifling through the myriad, verbose lyrics that Gene Hoglan drafted up for this album. Seriously, they scroll onward and onward, and not through mere repetition, but plausible, nightmarish revelations of the psycho and sadistic concepts being strewn over the instrumental violation. Let's just say Dark Angel had crafted one thorough epic of mental and musical distortion. The riffing is not unfamiliar to the previous album, but more complex still, almost as if you took other Californian thrashers Vio-Lence and ramped up the volatility levels of their 1988 classic Eternal Nightmare (especially "The Death of Innocence"). Yet, where that album provokes a fresh, bright brawl that leers at you from a street corner or a pile of junked automobiles, Leave Scars is more dark and personal, a Nightmare on Elm Street of technical thrash sans the shitty plot and acting. The stuff of broken homes and bedrooms. Drug addled depressions. Paranoid schizophrenia.

I've often complained about the production on this album, and its my least favorite aspect. Sure, it's workmanlike, fairly balanced and audible, but not entirely adequate for the level of riffs being wrought. As atmosphere, it functions like an overture to dementia, and you'll be so stunned by the constant hustle of the guitars and Gene Hoglan's storming, almost unparalleled battering that you are unlikely to notice so much. The album opens with a three hit onslaught, "The Death of Innocence" a symphony of fists beating an asylum wall before the grimy assailant that is "Never to Rise Again". Rinehart shines here, his vocals creating a manic percussion that perfectly flows astride the sore joints of the guitarists' digits. But as great a momentum as these tracks create, it is the stunning floor work of "No One Answers" and its incredibly evil opening riff that inform us that true greatness has occurred. The ensuing breakdown is one of the finest in all of metal history, with Slayer-like descending melodies that provide more than just a mosh pit, but a one way ticket to personal hell.

"Cauterization" is rather lengthy for an instrumental, and it might damned well have been given lyrics, but then the word count of Leave Scars would have likely surpassed the King James bible. However, the chugging, multi-tiered complex is convincing enough to level you straight in the face, before the unexpected deviation into a cover of Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song". Now, it arguably doesn't mesh well with its environment of psycho-sadistic emotional bombardments, but outside of a video with Viking cat stills set to the original, it's one of the most entertaining renditions I've heard, Rinehart proving he could scream just like Doty if he so chose. "Older Than Time Itself" is another favorite, its intro bearing a stark similarity to "For Whom the Bell Tolls", but the comparison ending there as dire melodies erupt and another intense, early breakdown sequence. "The Promise of Agony" is another classic, the bass pedal so condensed and percussive that it feels like there are 3-4 separate drum kits performing simultaneously in the studio; and neither do the freakish "Worms" 'narrated instrumental, nor the monstrous title track disappoint in the slightest.

Darkness Descends probably frightened a lot of people, and Leave Scars honored the tradition. It honestly would not get a lot more 'extreme' than this album in 80s thrash, without delving into the harrowing and inevitable mutations that were death and black. The combination of poignant, intelligent and violent imagery conjured through the lyrics is a tight fit with the labyrinthine, constant riffing. Despite its scale, there is no real excess here. Like Slayer, when this band wrote a breakdown, you could feel it, and while these aren't necessarily as potent as "Angel of Death" or "Raining Blood", they're both mighty and appropriate to offset the dominant, faster paced surge. The one hurdle I cannot get past is the production, it is simply not good enough for the writing, nor as resonant as Darkness Descends or the cleaner swansong Time Does Not Heal. But the songs themselves, barring the cover, are pregnant with hostility, riven with ideas and in the end I prefer it even to its highly lauded predecessor: it's marginally more interesting, with more consistently memorable riffs and psychological, multi perspective lyrics.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (I've absolved my self-control)

Dark Angel - We Have Arrived (1984)

In lieu of the concussive, speed limit battering material Dark Angel would concoct for their later albums, We Have Arrived seems but a humble statement. An average speed/thrash metal album for its time, with obvious parallels to California locals Metallica, Slayer and Abattoir, but also to Canadian acts like Anvil and Razor, the latter in their purely speed metal incarnation up to Evil Invaders. Fast based, raw power guitars with wrenching and shrieking vocals circa Show No Mercy era-Slayer, only Don Doty was not quite as charismatic or memorable. The placement of his screams here can feel forced and awkward, and I'd much prefer his lower, snarling register on this debut.

Despite its age, We Have Arrived actually still sounds fairly brazen today, with that authentic, natural tone so redolent of the mid 80s which bands simply don't use today under the banners of modern studio engineering. "Merciless Death" is without a doubt the most punishing track here, so aggressive that the band would re-use it on the followup Darkness Descends, where it better suits the environment, but otherwise fans who know only their more popular efforts might be a little shocked by the more subdued compositions. Not that they necessarily lack for aggression. "We Have Arrived" and "Welcome to the Slaughter House" both writhe along with a promise of agony (haw haw), but the riff patterns are simply not all that memorable. "No Tomorrow" fares better, with a big of grooving swagger to the notation which recalls early Slayer; "Falling from the Sky" the most solid, dirty speed metal licks and gang shouts, and nice air raid siren intro; both "Hell On Its Knees" and "Vendetta" open with clean guitar passages before exploding to some of the finer guitars on the album.

Ultimately, though it feels fresh and potent, the debut just lacks for the memorable velocity and technically demanding riffs that dominate Darkness Descends and Leave Scars. Dark Angel have never exactly penned the most glorious of chorus elements into their tracks, but here they are at their least interesting. As I've mentioned, the screams can occasionally feel out of place, as if they were simply adding them because they thought it was 'cool'. They are managed far more fluidly on the sophomore album, which has already destroyed We Have Arrived in its entirety by the time you get to the bridge of "The Burning of Sodom". If you're not too demanding, and simply long for the sincerity of filthy speed/thrash smack dab in the central 80s, then this album does not leave a painful impression, but there were far more poignant efforts out there (Ride the Lighting, Executioner's Song, Strength of Steel, Show No Mercy) and this doesn't exhibit a songwriting finesse on a comparable level.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10] (the final damnation ahead)

Ribspreader - The Van Murders (2011)

Rogga Johansson is not a man known for the tricks up his sleeves. He does death metal. Swedish, old school death metal, to be specific, and with very few exceptions (The 11th Hour, Those Who Bring the Torture and a few more), all of his projects offer only faint steps and deviations on the formula, often as skin deep in variation as those he's collaborating with at the moment. He wears this brutal badge with honor. Many of his works could be seen or heard as approaching the same goal from multiple vectors. He's tried his hands at conceptual work like The Grotesquery or Bloodgut. Carnal, Razorback style fun like Revolting. Primitive acts of pungency like Foreboding or the excellent Putrevore. Then, of course, there is a trio of 'main' bands, those that offer the higher production standards which can run headlong into the other titans of Swedish retro death like Bloodbath or Evocation.

Along with Demiurge and Paganizer, I would consider Ribspreader to occupy that central niche. You already know what it sounds like. Grave, Entombed, Dismember, Unleashed, and the others that shaped generations, with a healthy level of Florida brutality. The guitar tones are as massive as you might expect, and they swerve between choppy, death/thrashing rhythms and dense grooves. Perhaps more so than the previous three albums, The Van Murders really takes its slower strokes to heart, tons of double bass accenting the tank-like force. There are definite parallels here to Bolt Thrower, as in "The Cleaner and Mr. Filth", "Sick Minds Think Alike" and "Slaughterhouse on Wheels", which churn with eternal, warlike force until the more enthusiastic lead breaks, which are well written and almost without exception heighten the experience to something more than the brute minimum.

It's loud, mixed well by Patrick Bruss here in the States. It's also fun, but so weren't the older albums, and a large percentage of what Rogga has recorded. But does Ribspreader do much here to distinguish itself from the pack? I'd argue no. The Van Murders is about the same level of quality as Opus Ribcage or Paganizer's 2009 album Scandinavian Warmachine. Good enough that the diehards of this style will appreciate it for what it is, but Johansson's had a lot of better material out in the past few years (try the Revolting sophomore The Terror Threshold or the past few Demiurg discs). Rogga knows exactly what he's doing here. If there were any living soul who could write the handbook on how to approach authentic, old school Swedish diabolism, it would be him. The audience for The Van Murders is already well in place, and its entertaining for a few spins, but I don't see this as any sort of breakthrough.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/ribspreaderofficial

Cultes des Ghoules - Häxan (2008)

Häxan has been floating around for a few years already, but it has managed to spur enough interest in the underground that its seen some reissues, first on gate fold LP and cassette, and now once more in the CD format through Hell's Headbangers. It's thus far the sole full-length effort from the obscure Cultes des Ghoules, a crude and primitive Polish black metal entity who perform a style so bared to the bones that you could beat someone with this record as if you were a neanderthal. That's not to say it's all that impressive of an effort, but certainly its an effective one, with an approach not unlike the first two Barathrum albums, thick with strobing bass lines and fleshed out with raw, carnal guitars and hacking vocals.

The writing is incredibly simplistic, so much so that I found it to be the major flaw with the recording. Its obviously intentional, but the guitars are so familiar and effortless that it doesn't seem any expense was spared in actual preparation. The drums surge through periods of black, crawling doom ("Stregoica Dance") and tireless, roughshod blasting "(The Covenant and the Sacrifice)", and the bass tone is consistently feels like the driving force. Vocalist 'Mark of the Devil' adds quite a lot with his dire, disorderly presence, standing out so far from the supporting rhythm that you have to strain sometimes to hear that he's still on time. However, he's kind of cool sounding, and the band include a lot of samples, ominous chanting and ritual drum breaks to give the listener the impression that he/she is witnessing something no moral individual should set eyes or ear upon (I refer you to the endless tortured screaming at the end of the 16 minute finale, "The Impure Wedding").

Häxan is undoubtedly evil, curious and atmospheric, I only wish that they'd taken these core values and affixed them to guitar riffs worth a damn. Once in a while, such lewd and lazy note patterns will actually work out in the favor of an album, but this is sadly not one of those cases. They add very little except noise, and saunter about the more powerful bass. Outside of the samples and chants, there is nothing to take you by surprise. Considering how much Cultes des Ghoules sound like a decrepit, decaying old castle being animated into musical form, I was hoping something might leap out at me from around the corner. That I might find something in the attic. Or the basement. The everyman guitar lines detract from that possibility, especially when you've got a few songs over 10 minutes in length. The lyrics are cool, and the morbid atmosphere of the record is almost enough to offset this flaw. I'd certainly love to hear more in the style, but in the end I can't really see myself listening to this unless I want to creep someone out. I'll give it that.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (unravished by the Christ's light)