BLACK DEVOTION - Cathedral of the Black Goat demo
Self Released (soon to be released on Unholy Vision Records)
Genre: Black Metal
Rating: 4/5
A close friend of mine sent me a video link on Facebook (aka:Facecrack) to one of her boyfriend's band's songs, and asked my opinion of it. I thought it was pretty damm good since it had this evil atmosphere as if the sounds of the lower regions of the world were emanating from crevices at it's surface. I also mentioned BEHERIT, SARCOFAGO and PORTAL as reference points. The next thing I know is that the band's release is in my email awaiting a review. So I'd better say something nice about this one or she'll delete me from her friends and frankly I just can't take another deletion. OK that's bullshit (the deletion part) but this band certainly is not. BLACK DEVOTION are into full on Orthodox Devil Worship plus their logo looks similar to BLACK WITCHERY's. Like I was telling this priest at the gas station the other day, while I was filling up a gas can for that night's arson, that the biggest problem lately with the whole US Black Metal scene is that there's not enough true Devil worshipping going on. There's plenty of phonies out there on that symphonic trip plus all of those hipsters who worship used clothing stores and believe the devil resides inside every convenient store burrito. BLACK DEVOTION are truly fuckin serious and it definitely shows in their sound. This is pure blackened hell which will chase away any scenester fuck unless they wanna be part of the sacrifice. Although I'd doubt they would want em.
BLACK DEVOTION is a three piece consisting of Myrmydon on bass and lead vocals, Nocturnus Dominus on guitar, drums and backing vocals as well as running Unholy Vision Records. For playing live purposes they have KOMMANDANT drummer David Swanson filling in. Despite the deviations I threw around earlier BLACK DEVOTION's music is not just skirting the themes from the ideology of Devil Worship. In fact this release as well as the band concept is based on the Cathedral of the Black Goat which Myrmydon runs. If the music on here is an indication of what membership in the Cathedral of the Black Goat is like then I'm sure the Jehovah Witnesses don't have to worry about their door knocking territories being threatened. BLACK DEVOTION's music is blackened death doom and hate. This is the sound that first crept up out of the ground in South America back in the late eighties. Then emigrated to Scandinavia by some stowaway clutching a copy of SARCOFAGO's INRI LP to his chest as he hided out in the bowels of a some rust bucket of a ship while living on a diet of rats. Once in Europe some guys in Finland got a hold of that record then started the band BEHERIT. Afterwards the world was never the same again. Yes this is THAT sound. It's not overwhelming and in your face but instead creeps along low to the surface until it makes contact and then infects you.
I'm not sure if this is the pre or post mastering copy of the release and I don't have lyrics. Yes I'm sure they would be fun to read aloud at a family gathering, unless your family wears hooded black cloaks as church clothes. The songs on here, six of em, all run at the same speed which I like to call "brutal" which is somewhere in between a mechanical death metal pace and blackened riff frenzy. I wouldn't even characterize Myrmydon singing style as actual vocals. It's somewhere in between the noise you hear emanating from inside an underground steam pipe and the sound you hear when you're standing in front of a cave inhabited by bears who have just woke up hungry from months of hibernation. Both of which I have experienced personally. As far as Nocturnus Dominus's guitar work goes imagine sticking your head in a hole then getting stuck only to find out there's a hornets nest deep inside buzzing and they're coming for you. His drum work is like the pounding beats of your heart in that situation. Yes this is THAT sound and just like those who first let it loose upon us it is still sinister and hypnotic. This thing repeated it self playing three times before I realized that their were flames shooting up from below my floorboards. Lucky for me I'm marked.
Aside from the tremendous power this music conveys on the listener there's so much more to it's creation story. According to the info Myrmydon forwarded to me this release has been a long time project in the making going back to 2006. So their band name is more than the sum of it's words. If there was a downside to this release I'd say that by the fifth cut "Le Dragon Rouge" things sound monotonous. I'd go along with chocking it up to this being more of a religious experience, which is what I say about BLACK FUNERAL's music as well. When you're listening to the opening of the final cut, "The Pact with Lucifuge Rofocale", there's this cavernous vocal sound of relief which for some the end spells orgasmic joy or a sigh of thankfulness. Trust me on this one because I don't care what religion you are. At the end of your ceremonies there's a sound of relief in every one's voices come near the end. Don't believe me? Then stand outside of a church and see how many people go back in for seconds. Be that as it may Cathedral of the Black Goat is definitely not something you will find at Hot Topic in the mall. Nor will it be discussed over coffee at some downtown hipster crowded cafe where losers wear nose studs to feel edgy. No this is strictly for the true diehards of underground black metal because it contains THAT sound.
Label: http://unholyvisionrecords.yolasite.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blackdevotion
Sorry people but there seems to be no video music for this band.
No comments:
Post a Comment