Rock Area
by Robert Cisło
Google translate:
Black Cult – representatives of the black metal scene straight from sunny Croatia, operating since 2013, remind of their existence thanks to the second album “Cathedral Of The Black Cult”. They describe their work as “the heaviest version of modern black metal sound combined with the spirit of the old school,” but this term goes too far beyond the musical reality, because it’s neither modern nor old school. We won’t find anything revealing or especially surprising at the same time. It is also not as hard as it might seem, and compared to the first album Fri. “Neo-Satanism” the second Croatian release seems to be a bit milder and more melodic.
But it is not bad, on the contrary – apart from a bit pompous surround, I must admit that they play quite well and I must admit that I enjoyed listening to this album nicely. Solid and clear sound, fast tempo, vocals, although largely prolonged, are even clear and not too screeching as it happens in black metal.
The first part of the album is quite interesting, dynamic, with a canonade of blasts and unobtrusive solos, followed by calming down in the form of gently falling out against the background and almost melancholic “Until the Devil Takes Us,” with catchy calm riff and Maiden’s solo. After a moment of respite, there is a sharp ride again thanks to “The Witches Dance”, seasoned with drum parts attacking like an avalanche of stones, but unfortunately for a short time, because of subsequent, similar songs, a sense of monotony creeps in. “Herophant” or “Undeath”, although good, are tedious like a burek with cheese. Whenever I listened to “Cathedral Of The Black Cult” at that moment the album stopped absorbing my attention. One can get the impression that the inflated balloon began to leak air.
From this lethargy of boredom comes a surprise in the form of a Motorhead cover, closing the album. Struggling at “Kingdom of the Worm” is in my opinion a big challenge, which they managed quite well, but the hunger remained. It is true that it is fast and dynamic, but at the beginning very conservative and reproductive. It wasn’t until the end of the Black Cult that they let their imagination run wild, giving the song color. The vocals are doing quite well here, but in confrontation with Lemmy’s somber melorecitation, which creates a harsh and depressing climate, unfortunately fell.
In the information about the band, I found that Black Cult is “the third wave of black metal coming from the south” (after the second formed in the north). I dare say that this time it crashed into breakwaters rather than hit with full force. I am even tempted to say that what “Cathedral Of The Black Cult” already represents someone once played somewhere. In some of the songs echo distant echoes of Enthroned or Dark Funeral, such as in the opening album “Black Cathedral”. Others, with their climate, bring to mind the achievements of Moonspel or Tiamatu. In all this, Marduk’s sharpness and fury are probably missing. Although this album is not bad, sulfur does not stink.
6/10