Two words make up the bands name and two members make up the band. Storming in on the backs of black metal/thrash metal dragons comes Blasphemer (drums) and Lucas “from hell” (vocals, all guitars, artwork) from the south of Brazil.
Your eye is immediately drawn to the vibrant colour of the artwork. It draws you in as it almost looks like an engulfing entity as you then realise the two women on either side possibly have been. With a blood moon above the goat, a couple of priests and a pentagram I have to believe there are some elements here that may make hardened Sunday churchgoers quiver. Perhaps it is an ode to Black Mass, a ritual practised by Satanic groups that mock Catholic mass, or perhaps it’s an engaging display of offering up their music in all its forms to a higher power that looks much more mighty as a goat than a lamb. The song titles follow suit with ‘Unholy nights’ and ‘Eternal Cult of Darkness’.
Their sound harks back to a day when dark and thrashy was king. A more underground sound that always feels like it’s out to get you.
It’s fast and maddening. Guitar drove with fuzzy guitars the sound kicks on from the beginning and never stops. The music has a familiar rhythm to it that can be easily followed along but the tempo rarely changes. In ‘Army of the dead‘ there at least some respite from the tempo where it slows down and we get a different feel. Guitars tend to move up and down with a formulaic tendency so that if you like one song you’ll like the rest.
With the drums of Blasphemer belting along with it though the duo works well. Drums have a variety of patterns and not just an Uzi-gun pattern that provides depth to the songs.
Lead guitar solos are fantastic on this. While they are more odes to just rocking the hell out of your guitar the tone of the guitar is inspiring. The notes are clear, menacing, and pitch in the way that lifts your lip as you inexplicably have facial contortions in time with the solo. Guitar string bending is prominently mixed in with tremolos to create a solid solo base.
Vocals are deep throaty vocals that growl out feelings from a dark place. It’s almost like putting your ear to a hole and hearing with great acoustic clarity a fight hidden deep within the bowels of the earth including small yowls of excitement or pain. Without a lyric sheet, I have no idea what is being sung so any ideas will initially be lost unless you have your ear tuned in.
These guys are out to rock as hard they can and stun with lyrical and graphical content. With the energy exuded from them, you can always put this album on and expect someone will enquire about it.
Evilcult: Facebook
Release Year: 2020
Label: Awakening Records
Category: Album
Country: Brazil
Reviewed by Byron Lotz
